07 October 2009

Bringing down the volume

If there is one thing I say every day more times than I can count, it's this -- "BRING DOWN THE VOULME!" Sometimes I say it nicely, with a "please" tacked on to it. But most time, it's just the latest add-on to the ever-present din around here.
I only have three children, but I swear they make the noise of 30. Every thing they do is Loud.
They run Loud. They walk Loud. They sing Loud. They yell Loud. They laugh Loud. They cry Loud. Loud, Loud, LOUD!
Luckily, most of the time, Loud does not bug me much. It's when I ask Annalivia to go ask her brother who is upstairs if he wants a muffin and she stands 6 inches from me and hollers, "DANIEL! DO YOU WANT A MUFFIN?" that I get annoyed. Or when I say, "No, Annalivia, please go ask him if he wants a muffin" and she moves approximately 2 feet and yells, "DANIEL!! I SAID, 'DO YOU WANT A MUFFIN?!?'"
This house does not help. This rental is huge, has wood floors and high ceilings and the house we are redoing is huger, has wood floors, and higher ceilings. I've realized that we need to figure out the volume thing, and pronto. I've started not talking to the kids until they are in front of me. When I was in the hospital with Emmeliese, I got to see that show about the Duggars and saw that they have an intercom system in their house. When we bought the new house and started redoing it, I told Dennis that was going to be a necessary expense. We simply MUST figure out how to bring the volume down. Any ideas from you experienced moms out there?

5 comments:

Tonya said...

Here's my advice. Wait. I don't have any. My phrases of choice are "Tone it down" or "Lower your voice" or "YOu are in the house, if you want to yell, please go outside and do it". I like "bring down the volume" though. Maybe I'll add that one to the rotation just to mix things up a bit.

The great thing about having a husband who can't tolerate noise in the house (unless he's tickling them or pelting them with rolled up socks or smacking them with the living room throw pillows- and visa versa) is that he yells at the kids to "QUIET DOWN NOW" and they do. Maybe you could try getting Dennis to yell at them???

Anonymous said...

speak softly and carry a big stick. it worked for teddy.

-js

Jake said...

Duct tape.

The Passarelli's said...

Why kids are loud? Who knows but they all are. I have new neighbors with two kids that come out of the house every morning screaming. I hate it! I tell them it is too early in the morning to scream and they usualy quiet down for a while. Every day the 6 year old yells out over and over: Who wet da dogs out! Who wet da dogs out!as their dog barks and barks . I can move and am thinking about it,but for you and your kids, bribe them with candy or something. Shhhh with your finger over your lips every time the volume gets loud.

The Passarelli's said...

Have you tried prayer? If those things don't work,referr to Jake's comment. That will work for sure!