K is for Kicking Bad Attitudes to the Curb

If you’re looking for ideas for conquering the bad attitudes in your children, you’ll need to keep looking. This post is for me to help me kick my bad attitudes to the curb. Some days I am just a grouchy, horrible, prone to angry outbursts, witchy woman who, unfortunately, finds offense everywhere.  *sigh*

Instead of seeing the good, I focus on the bad. Instead of “oh, look, they’re shipping the dvd!”  I think “really?  they’re just now shipping it and I still won’t get it for another 7 days??!!”  I sink into a self-pity party and travel to woe-is-me-everyone-is out-to-make-me-miserable-land. It stinks. It’s wrong. I don’t like it.

Kicking the Bad Attitude to the Curb

My poor children. I don’t want them walking on egg shells wondering if they’ll get their heads ripped off because today’s the day that nothing will please mom. My children are talented, intelligent and I hope well educated, but they are also human and that means words hurt.  On Mom’s a Witch days, glances and tones hurt. My children are beautiful inside and out and I do not want to break their spirits. I don’t want them thinking or worse yet believing they are not good enough just because mom is a big old tub of sin. Sure they have their own sin issues and yes, they can on my nerves but my stinky bad attitude is not an excuse for me to focus on their faults or blame them for my failures.

So when I have a day like today this what do I do to kick that bad attitude to the curb? It begins with acknowledgement. I am faster now than I was 10 years ago with recognizing that I’m just in a bad mood. I’m still struggling with fully recognizing the signs and preventing it.  For now, I’ll just be thankful that I recognize it, and that I can work to get rid of it.

I think the best way to get rid of the attitude and reset my thinking is to take a shower and pray.  (What?  You don’t pray in the shower?  Sometimes, especially when the girls were little, the shower was the only time I had peace and quiet and could pray.)   So I pray in the shower and then I come out of the shower and I pray some more. The more Orthodox I become, the more I need my formal prayer time.

Tea (or hot chocolate) and chocolate are also very helpful.  Some days the bad attitude is mild enough that just having some chocolate, some good British Blend or Irish Gold tea and the time to read a chapter from a book is enough.  Other times the kicking requires extra prayer time.

Often hymns are helpful. Hearing my daughter sing “Be Thou My Vision” puts my focus back where it needs to be and realizing that particular hymn was written as a tribute to St. Patrick just makes it sweeter.

Oh and Scriptures. Tea or any hot beverage, chocolate, and a good book is a good choice but when they are not strong enough the Psalms are a good place to start.

And naps. Do not forget about naps. Sometimes the bad attitude sneaks in because I’m too tired.  A nap can reset the whole outlook.

What do you do when you need to kick a bad attitude?

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Comments

  1. Yes! I so pray in the shower - so glad someone else does :)

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  2. I pray in the shower. Some days it is the only "quiet time" I get. I think just be honest with our kids help. I let mine know that I am struggling with a bad attitude and ask them to pray for me. Or I might tell them I'm taking a 15 min break to refocus myself.

    Of course, I eat chocolate, too.

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    Replies
    1. I understand about how some days it is the only quiet time! Yes, letting my children know and asking them to pray. I think it helps them to know that I mean when I say that I understand the struggle.

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  3. I pray when I'm in the shower too! I can relate to a lot of this - I struggle with a bad attitude, but I'm getting so much better at seeing it coming so I can nip it in the bud. Most of the time I need to get by myself for a little bit and do something restful.

    Chocolate. Dark chocolate. :-)

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    Replies
    1. My favorite way to eat dark chocolate is to eat the dark chocolate peanut butter cups or Skinny Chocolate. I am so glad that I am not the only one that prays in the shower!

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  4. Great advice! And chocolate always helps! ;-)

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  5. Just realizing and acknowledging that I have a bad attitude is the first step for me. That puts the responsibility for how I treat others on me, where it belongs. I do need help dealing with my daughter's bad attitude, though...I'm finding even harder to convince HER that a positive attitude and kind actions are a choice!

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  6. "That puts the responsibility for how I treat others on me, where it belongs." Exactly! And well said, Debbie. Thank you.

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  7. I pray in the shower too! You were right our hearts were very similar for K! I'll say a prayer for you, my friend, please do the same for me. I too have a heart not to have my kids walk on eggs shells at mommies mood swings! Oh to be perfect!! Some day in Heaven we won't have these worries!

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