Day 1 - Orange Rhino Challenge

Dear Children,

Your Aunt Jen - let's call her Mother Theresa of Zen Parenting or MTZ (I dig that!) for short - just so happened to pass along an article a rad mom wrote about yell free parenting. Well.....remember when Aunt Danette told me about the ScreamFree parenting book? Sense a theme??? While this paints an ugly picture that I am some horrible mother - I swear to god I am not. Usually. But I guess you be the judge.....*gulp*

Anyway.... usually I am pretty chill, at least I was when I only had 3 kids, two of which went to school. The crank pot me started to crank up her cranky :) around the time I started homeschooling - which is right around the time the newest round of sleep deprivation set in, as well as having to sort out all my feelings and challenges of being with my kids ALL DAY. The universe does mean things sometimes.

Anyway......back to MTZ and her superb timing. So MTZ sends me this text "I know you and I don't yell, but this article is amazing." I am so, so glad my special MTZ was not saying this to my face because my face turned read. And hot. That itchy, hot-red feeling when you've just been nailed. MTZ and I are of the Zen parenting philosophy (at least I used to be) but no one - okay maybe Michelle Duggar my hero - holds a candle to MTZ - the Zen master. She can hold her calm in the face of the ugliest of ugly tantrums. You know those ones. It's the soul sister to the ugly scream. You know that one.

So.......back to said article. So MTZ says it's a good article and I am all over it like bees on honey. I grab the Ipad and sit down to read. I almost start to cry.

 I read that whole article  about this mom's top 10 lessons she learned after completeing a WHOLE YEAR without yelling at her kids. For reasons explained one the site the challenge is called the Orange Rhino.

This whole concept is something I had been looking for for about 6 months. The book ScreamFree Parenting - as recommended by your Aunt Danette (a fellow homeschooler of a gaggle of kids) was the first step - that book changed my whole life. But I needed something more. An active plan I could do with others. I was 99% sure I had found it at this point.

 I then started reading all the top posts and the rules of this challenge of being YellFree. Not only is the author HYSTERICAL and real, she is genuinely trying to be the best mother she can be, take things to the next level, and mother in a way that builds trust and connection - all goals of mine. I am always trying to take things to the next level.....mostly.....when not sleep deprived.

So, I decided this WAS it. I started to take the challenge. I read all the rules and the amazing and fabulous list of yell free alternatives . My personal favorites are:

6.  Bang arms on chest like a gorilla  (a good release and a great entertainment for kids)
14.  Sing. I especially like “La la la, la la, la LAAAAA”  (it’s unexpected which works wonders)
36.  Yell into a Kitchen Cabinet  (cereal boxes don’t have feelings either)

I did all of these today. I am not kidding. I  totally did and I felt totally silly and afterwards totally, totally, TOTALLY awesome. Because folks............I did it. Boom shock-a-locka! I DID IT!!!! I made it ALL DAY without being a crazy crankpot even ONCE.  

I actually started this challenge yesterday but cracked under pressure - failure. While trying to get everyone out of the car - too late for Savannah's liking, 7pm  (oops) - I asked for the keys and Charlotte decides to talk to me....while NOT handing me the keys. I broke and yelled "The keys! Please!!!" and then calmed down quickly but I was a gonner. Luke shook his head and said good-naturedly "Sorry mom, no point for you today, back to Zero" Hahahaa!!! Thanks bud. So today was Day 1, Take 2 of making it all day. 

Here's the statistics:

- I yelled into the cabinet 1x (kids totally loved this) -

- Pounded my chest like a gorilla 9x (ditto above) -

- Sang "la-la-la-la-la" 4x (kids rolled eyes and smiled)

- You kids said "Orange Rhino!" to me 2x to calm my "crazy eyes"

I didn't actually want/plan to yell more than 1x today - but you guys have an amazing sense of ANY level of frustration and so do I. My goal is to leave behind all those nasty feelings of frustraction and losing control of my compose. I want to be an Zen Parenting Hero like MTZ and Michelle Duggar.

Were y'all extra sweet today? Hells bells no. In fact #3 has a stomach bug (thank god for hardwood floors in my whole house) #4 is a teething mo-fo, #2 is extra dramatic and I have 3 extra kids at the house tonight. Booya!!! But I did it and I am SUPER proud of myself.  So in all those several thousand moments of frustration today trying to lovingly mother you all, run around to music lessons, prepare a potluck dinner for #3's preschool dinner, do the weekly bills/money planning, school you older 2 all whilst trying to get everyone to stay happy.....I remained my badass self.


Jesus - I really needed this. Here's to another victorious day. Bring it Day Two!!!