Dworin, 38, a mother of three and a former parenting magazine editor, blogs about the quirky journey of her Lutheran family: Dan, 39; Janine, 11; Ben, 8; Jillian, 5; and Louis, a circus-sized poodle, at www.thelutheran.org/blog/parenting.
Email your question to Dworin.
Q: Whining is the new soundtrack of our family’s life. With the dip in the economy, my husband and I are complaining about our finances and our kids always bellyache about something. How do we shake this funk?
A: Put thankfulness on your priority list. Acknowledge together the good things in life that get overlooked, such as your relationships.
Your family’s attitude reflects your focus. By shifting attention to your blessings — even small ones — you’ll move in a more positive direction.
At mealtimes share two good things that happened that day. Saying and hearing words of gratitude help break the cycle of whining, so stick with these affirmations even if they seem artificial at first.
© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Comments
Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez
Posted at 1:37 pm (U.S. Eastern) 4/29/2009
If children are whining excessively, most likely the adults in the environement are also whining, complaining, and/or gossiping. By changing our behaviors including our tone-of-voice, most whininng will cease and the whining that remains reminds us as parents to make sure our children are not hungry, tired, stressed, or becoming ill.
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