The Yell-Free Family Workshop

Dear Exhausted Parent,

You know that moment in the morning when you're already running late.

Keys in your hand. Eyes on the clock. And your child is doing everything except what you asked.

They're playing. They're distracted. They wander off halfway through getting ready.

You ask again. Nothing.

So you do what works. You raise your voice.

And just like you've seen a hundred times before, it works. They move. They do what you asked. Sometimes they cry. Sometimes they go quiet.

And if you've been there, you know what comes next:

That drop in your stomach. The guilt. The thought: "It worked… but I hate that this is what it takes."

If that's you, I need you to know something important:

It's not your fault. And you're not alone.

I know because that was me.

You see, I grew up in a house with a yeller. My father. He loved us, I know he did, but when things got stressful, the yelling would start. The verbal abuse. The tension you could cut with a knife.

We also had music, jokes, laughter... but that yelling? It left scars that took decades to heal.

And here's the thing that haunted me for years: when I became a parent, I swore I would NEVER yell at my kids.

But I did.

Despite all my training. Despite having a degree in Human Ecology. Despite literally working with children for years...

When I was stressed, exhausted, overwhelmed, I yelled.

And every single time, I felt like the worst parent in the world.

I tried everything. Staying calm. Being more patient. Consequences. Rewards. Counting to ten. Reminding myself to "just be more consistent."

None of it held when the pressure was on.

And I finally realized: most parenting advice doesn't work when you're rushed. It's designed for calm moments, but yelling doesn't happen in calm moments.

Sound familiar?