"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain
Most fools do."
-Ben Franklin
The best “Parenting Advice” I’ve ever gotten is this mantra of keeping our critical remarks to ourselves in the heat of the moment. The problem can then be discussed later at a non-problem time. This came from a Thomas Gordon, Parent Effectiveness Training. Sam and I had Sheryn Hara come to our home for six weeks and train about six of us.
When I share this idea with others, I add that the best non-problem time and place is date to a restaurant so there is no temptation for arguing because it would be embarrassing. For sure this applies to couples as well.
One time, our oldest daughter was throwing around a lot of sassy comments and back talking. Since we knew about the No Talking Rule, Sam and I put some duct tape across her bedroom doorway with a bible verse:
"Proverbs 21:23 23Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”
Today’s parenting can take advantage of “text messaging”. The secondary skill to acquire is: appropriate reactions when one’s emotional temperature is rising.