The other day, a picture I took of my daughter throwing a small tantrum was featured on one of those Instagram accounts that highlights photos parents have snapped during a child’s tantrums. I was very excited and thankful for the free publicity, so I clicked the link to see if anyone had liked or commented on the picture. It had received several likes, but the only comment left thus far on the picture was that of a woman who had felt the need to make it public that she would no longer be following this account because, although she enjoyed the parenting memes, she did not appreciate the regular posting of pictures of children in the throes of a tantrum.
Is This a Bribe?
While potty training my now three year old, I’ve talked to a lot of mothers who are going through a similar process. I’ve noticed that a lot of them seem to feel guilty about “bribing” their children to use the potty with candy or other treats. I wanted to take a short minute to say there is no need to feel guilty about this.
Why Am I Yelling? How Do I Stop?
I have a confession. I am extremely easy to irritate. People have asked me why I am such an angry person, and the reality of it is that I am not, however, to get an outward look at myself, I can understand why other people might see me that way sometimes. The truth is that because of my ADHD/ anxiety combination, I am constantly on edge, ready to be set off at the next thing that comes along. Which is, more often than not, something not worth being upset about. I want to talk about that a little bit because I’ve really had to look at the way my anger, and in particular, my inclination to yell when I am angry, has affected my family. It has caused me to take a look at what I might be able to do differently so that I can have the exterior of a calm, in control person, even though I often don’t feel that way on the inside.