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Welcome to our special “Mad Mom Makeover” Series!

A couple years ago, this blog  featured eight special guest posts dealing with “mom anger” and how to cope with those “blow it” moments!

These dear moms offer words of encouragement, support, and wonderful tips for when that old temper flares.   Grab a cuppa and jot down these great ideas!

Today’s post features my sweet friend Valerie from Cord of 6, a mom of 3 girls and one boy, just like me!  I know you will enjoy her creative ideas – some of which I never even considered!

Welcome, Valerie!

How to Avoid Anger Triggers and Stop Yelling at Your Kids

I’ll never forget asking the nurse to bring my baby to me from the nursery. She opened the door and rolled the bassinet over to my bed as the bright light shone into my dark room like rays of sunshine.

I didn’t care about sleeping. I was so excited to hold my newborn daughter. After 6 years of infertility, I was now a mommy. And now 12 years later, I’m a blessed mom of 4!

I’ve found Motherhood to be the most joyous of all experiences.

Yet in the middle of dirty diapers, whining and constant repetition, I found myself lost.

A frantic, overwhelmed mother. Why is this so hard? What am I doing wrong?

No matter how hard I tried, how many reward systems or sticker charts I started or how good my intentions not to yell were, I seemed to be losing the battle more often than not.

Be angry, and yet do not sin. Ephesians 4:26

I began to feel defeated. I don’t need anyone telling me that I shouldn’t yell at my kids. I know that. I’m sure you know that, too.

I want to know how to handle my emotions when I’ve tried every possible nice way of communicating and my kids are still staring at me like brick walls.

So I’m not here to tell you exactly how to get your kids to listen. But I have discovered that love chooses restraint. And choosing restraint takes self-control. And in order to have self-control, we need to identify the triggers that start our pot boiling so we don’t boil over.

We need to identify the angry triggers that start our pot boiling so we don't boil over. Click To Tweet

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Proverbs 25:28

Common Triggers to Avoid

Neglecting time in the Word

It’s not always easy, but try and carve out time in God’s word every day. I began getting up at 5:30 so I could do my devotions before my kids got up.

It was so hard at first. But once you make it a habit, your body adjusts to it. I look forward to my time with God each morning because it’s my fuel to help me through the day.

The morning rush to get out the door

Kids who won’t get up. Kids who cry because the outfit you helped them pick out the night before suddenly doesn’t feel right. Kids who refuse to put on their clothes. And Just CRY. These are my triggers.

I have to make an effort to be intentional and expect my buttons to be pushed. Sometimes I put on Christian music to set a godly mood. Sometimes my kids just need positive attention and hugs versus a drill sergeant.

Sometimes they need time broken up into increments with an alarm set to be dressed and ready for breakfast by the time the alarm rings.

Sometimes they need natural consequences. If you waste time in your room and refuse to get dressed you may miss out on breakfast because it will be too late.

*Tip When you feel like you’re about to pop because your kid won’t get dressed, remember this great verse and ask yourself, are you demanding they get dressed while you have refused God’s command to clothe yourself in love?

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.

(Colossians 3:14-17) (NLT)

*Click on the book to read about my mommy anger devotional, Count to Nine – moms are being changed by this method!*

Being too busy and focusing on my to-do list

When my to-do list is steadily increasing and nothing gets checked off, my mind tends to check out.

Instead of being present emotionally with my kids I’m easily irritated and rushing to get things done.

When I’m busy and stressed I tend to snap at my kids and bark orders. I finally realized that instead of focusing on what I still had to do I needed to focus on ALL the things I was accomplishing during the day. I wrote about this in the post, The List You’re Too Busy Not to Make!

Messy kids in a messy house

Wrappers on the floor. Shoes left in the middle of the walkway. A new towel brought out by every kid for every shower AND left on the floor in their room. Toothpaste smeared all over the counter and dried globs stuck to the floor. Dirty clothes stuffed in drawers when they “clean” their room. These are my messy triggers.

I’m not sure what the magic trick is to get my kids to STOP doing these things but one thing I know for sure:

Yelling is only temporary and doesn’t solve the problem.

I need to be consistent with strategies that work. Every time my kids leave a towel on the floor, they get an extra chore… like folding the next load of laundry. Garbage on the floor? Then perhaps I need to give them a garbage bag to pick up garbage. What are your strategies, moms?

Not exercising

Everyone knows when mom hasn’t exercised. I’m grumpy. When I don’t feel good about myself, it’s harder to be “nice.” Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Get your anger out through exercise! It’s a great way to not let your anger turn into sin.

Upset over something else

Do you ever notice your fuse is shorter towards your kids when you’re upset or stressed about something else? If my husband and I are in a disagreement or maybe the scale increased 5 pounds while trying to lose weight, I often find myself easily angered.

[clickToTweet tweet=”When you find yourself yelling at your kids, ask yourself if you are upset about anything else in your life!” quote=”When you find yourself yelling at your kids, ask yourself if you are upset about anything else in your life!”]

Love does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

What to do when you blow it?

Own it. How could you have handled the situation differently? If you have sinned in your anger, apologize. Ask for forgiveness. Be honest with them.

I tell my kids that I’m working on how to react when they don’t obey and I ask them if they can try harder to listen. Talk about reasonable consequences with them. Connect with them again. Then purpose in your heart to make concerted efforts to know your triggers and control your anger. What about you? What are your anger triggers and how do you avoid them?

Hello! I’m Valerie, a busy mother of four energetic children and a wife to my husband of twenty years. I write about learning to grow closer to God and family through the daily struggles of life. My mission is to bring hope and encouragement to struggling marriages, overwhelmed moms and people striving to face their fears and know their worth. I would love for you to come visit my blog at Cord of 6

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Can’t control your temper?

In Count to Nine, moms discover a Scripturally sound, methodical approach for taming the temper. Ruthie Gray, mother of four and grandparent of two, gently guides frazzled mothers of all ages toward God’s Word, His view on anger, and the nine steps to overcoming wrath.

In this ebook, you will learn

*The surprising reasons behind your anger

*The mind-blowing truth of God’s view on anger

*One eye-opening tactic for changing your reactions

*How the staggering power of unbelief can keep you from change

*How to triumph through one key attitude adjustment

*How to gain victory over a life-long stronghold

*And much, much more!

The author, Ruthie Gray, transparently shares her own motherhood struggles, instantly connecting with moms through her “been there” approach. Moms will find victory, new hope, and support through this encouraging method of actionable Scripture verses and Scripture prayers.

Dear mom, isn’t it time for you to Count to Nine?