QUESTION: Is there any help for a dad with a “short-fuse” with the kids at the end of the day?

 

ANSWER: Kirk Martin’s CD “Straight Talk for Dads” provides practical, sensible ideas for combating the “arsenic hour” that is usually before supper time and when dad (or mom) gets home from work.

The following is part of a personal testimony that includes a couple great ideas:

“Yesterday, I came home from a really tough day at work. The kids were just hammering my wife and I was tempted to blow in like a hurricane, but I went straight to my wife and hugged her. Then I asked the kids to follow me. I sat down in the living room and got a board game out. Within two minutes, all four kids were sitting around me playing. We laughed and talked and half way through the game, I saw my wife taking a picture. She told me later that in the past ten years she’d never seen me do something so wonderful.

Normally, I would have yelled at the kids, thrown my own tantrum and spanked at least one of the kids. When I whispered (another great tip, by the way) that perhaps the kids had something to say to their Mom, the kids got up and apologized to her.

Instead of fighting all night and trying to change my kids’ behaviors, I started by controlling myself. It didn’t take nearly as much energy as yelling and we ended up having a good night together. I have built our house myself, but now I’m working at building the family that I enjoy even more.”

If you would like to talk about the challenges in raising children, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Linea de Apoyo at 1-877-434-9528. For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599. Check out www.familiesandcommunities.org and the Straight Talk For Dads CD (Kirk Martin) at the PRC Specialty Library (105 First Street SE, Austin)