Today’s prompt got me thinking about how I’m trying to learn to BREAK silence, rather than keep it. But in an effort to lighten up a bit, here’s one about staying silent.
43. The Sound of Silence: Write about staying quiet when you feel like shouting.
https://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/
“Ma-MAAAAAH!! HE HIT ME!!!”
Before the pandemic, this cry would elicit an almost immediate response from me.
“Don’t hit your brother!” for minor infractions.
“Go to your room!” for slightly more serious crimes.
“THAT’S IT, I’M TAKING AWAY [insert favorite toy here]!” for the most grievous offenses.
But as the pandemic wore on…
I became inured to the call, impervious to their cries.
Don’t get me wrong, there are certain things I will not tolerate (just ask me how I dealt with a biting habit).
But when it comes to the whiny, peevish cries of, “He pushed me!” “He hit me!” “He took my toy!”… At this point, I am basically deaf to them.
A Newborn’s Cries
You know how parents learn to understand their newborn’s cries? One for hungry, one for sleepy, one for fussy, another for gassy…
It’s actually pretty easy to tell when your child is seriously upset or injured. Just by listening closely to their shouts, I can tell whether my 5- and 2-year-old are actually in pain, or if they’re just kvetching.
So now, when they kvetch, I say nothing.
Blissful Silence
After the initial outcry, when they realize no response is forthcoming, they usually simmer down.
They’ll move on, either play something else together or each move on to his own thing.
It’s only when the outbursts become more frequent and reach a fever pitch that I then intervene.
And then, it’s usually to throw them outside, down to the playroom, or to their respective rooms.
And enjoy a few more minutes of blessed silence.
And maybe a cup of tea…
