A Normally Loud Household

Let me preface this article by saying I not only grew up in an Italian family but for the first 18 years of my life I never realized that my father was practically deaf(we discovered how hard of hearing he was after he finally got a hearing aide when I was in college). So not only did we yell because of our heritage but we yelled so my Dad could hear us. By the way my Dad's sister was also deaf so we yelled when we saw my aunt, heck we just used loud "outside" voices all the time.

My husband, who by the way also came from a rather loud Italian household and who himself tends to be on the loud side, insists that my yelling in the household disrupts our family life, is abnormal, and will lead our children into therapy.

First I want to say that surfing the web I have discovered more than one website devoted to to among other things mothers and yelling: today's cliche'

This is where I found that I am not alone in trying to get the kids ready for school while I get myself dressed for work and after repeating that they need to brush their teeth a million times, my voice starts to go up and up and up until I sound horse.

The next question that begs is whether or not this is healthy for the children. Growing up in my household, I have discovered that I have a thicker skin than some other individuals who grew up in quieter homes. The employees I hire who come from more sheltered environments are not as resiliant as those who have had their lives threatened daily by mothers who had enough of Dr. Spock and his ridiculous ways.

At this point I need to stress that yelling and abuse are two very different things. When I yell at my kids to take out the garbage, it is not abusive. It has come on the heels of me making the same request a dozen or more times and receiving the answer, "I will" without a muscle being moved in the direction of the garage.

Do I think a loud household is harmful? No I don't. I think a loveless household is harmful. I think an ambivalent household is harmful and I think a bad marriage is harmful. A loud household, well that is just normal.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!