A Week of No Complaining Day 3: I Feel Powerless

Without being freely able to complain to and about my kids I find I have a lot less to say! That is not bad thing. My ESSV has been diligent in her role as self appointed monitor for the week. Her exertions on my behalf have curbed my natural desire to justify words of aggravation spoken aloud to the deserving party.

This does beg the question: What is the difference between complaining and correction? For current example: If our resident semi-adult leaves the coffee maker on all night again, how does one communicate that this is a dangerous , thoughtless, foolish, unwise over site on her part and I wish it to stop immediately or please do not use the coffee maker at night. Words to this effect have in no way led to the desired change in behavior.

I am beginning to see I complain because I feel hopeless to effect change without extreme measures on my part. Leaving the coffee maker on all night is a safely issue as well a misuse of freely provided hospitality. I could hide the coffee or coffee maker. Not a bad if silly solution. The odds of me remembering to do so are nil. I could stay up all night to ensure coffee if made, the maker is turned off. I could buy a coffee maker with an automatic off switch. All these solutions involve I and not the semi-adult who persists in making coffee at night and not turning off the coffee maker. Hence the complaining.

I am stumped.

How do you deal with semi-adults (or other adults) and their thoughtlessness without complaining or taking silly extreme measures?

I am offering a contest (inducement) to e-card users, leave a comment 1 entry, write a post and link either in a comment . Twitter, tweet, facebook, stumble etc 2 more enteries, just leave a comment telling what you did. 2 lucky randomly chosen winners will get 500ec’s each. All entrants will get a shout out link in a summery post next week.

A Week of No Complaining: Day 1

Wow, I didn’t realize just how much I mutter about things. To be honest, and I really prefer just to lie, I didn’t make it out the door for church yesterday without some complaining. How did I know this you might ask? How did I have suddenly become so self- aware?

One of my kids reads my blog. I now have my own personal complaint monitor. I have heard, “You are not supposed to be complaining” more than I care to admit. Thank you External Still Small Voice (hereafter ESSV). This experiment would not be as effective without your gleeful, unsolicited participation.

What is humbling and kind of embarrassing is how much I complain about the petty thing my kids do (mostly aren’t doing).

How does one confront the minor irritations of living with teens without becoming a whinny person herself?

My ESST this thoroughly enjoying herself!

I am offering a contest (incentive) to e-card users, leave a comment 1 entry, write a post and link either in a comment . Twitter, tweet, facebook, stumble etc 2 more enteries, just leave a comment telling what you did. 2 lucky randomly chosen winners will get 500ec’s each. All entrants will get a shout out link in a summery post next week.