my tone

I read an article from a link on Facebook the other day about how we talk to our kids (and by God I CANNOT find the article anywhere). It basically said the tone we use with our kids is a tone we would never use with another adult and I couldn’t agree more with what the writer was saying.  The way I talk to my kids (at times) is very different than the way I talk to my husband, friends, family, or co-workers.  I have thought about this article a lot over the last couple of weeks....and I am reminded of it every time I speak in a "loudish tone of voice" with my kids. But (you knew that was coming), I have finally come to the conclusion that I completely disagree with the writer’s stance that a parent's tone of voice isn’t ok. I don't believe that my tone of voice is hurting my kids and killing their self-esteem.  Here is why I disagree; adults don’t do stupid things (ok let me rephrase, MOST adults don’t do stupid things) that (my) kids do. 

I don’t know many adults that would….

-knock their entire plate on the floor because they are playing with their forks.

-clench their teeth shut so tight that a toothbrush can’t break the barrier.

-run across a street without looking both ways.

-throw their boots across a room because they can’t have a donut for breakfast (because there are not donuts to be had).

-scream so loudly their neighbors eardrum burst simply because their shoe fell off.

-wake up at 2 in the morning and cry about the blankets not being perfectly laid over their body.

-lose their mind over having to share the Gatorade with a sibling.

-eat a gummy bear off the ground at Disney World.

-have a fit about their leggings not fitting perfectly at their ankle.

-pee down their leg because, well, why not?

-hide in a clothing rack in a store because it is fun to make their parent have a massive heart attack.

-cry loudly because you missed the trash truck drive by.

-argue (and I mean ARGUE) that 5 cents is MORE than 10 cents because the coin is bigger.

This is really just A FEW of the things that have made me talk to my kids in a way that I would never speak to an adult.  But I can tell you this, if an adult did any of these things I would speak to them the same way that I speak to my kids.  So I totally feel justified in my “tone of voice.”