Y’all, let me set the scene: last night, I was blow-drying my hair, and I heard my youngest walking down the hallway brushing his teeth. Except… he wasn’t exactly brushing his teeth. He has this habit of holding his electronic toothbrush on his tongue (I can hear it vibrating not on his teeth).
So naturally, I yelled over the noise of the hairdryer and his toothbrush, “BRUSH YOUR TEETH!” He yelled back, “WHAT?”—matching my volume, of course.
And just like that, we were in an echo chamber of yelling. Me yelling to brush, him yelling back that he couldn’t hear me, and the whole household inadvertently tuning into our mini shouting match.
The irony? My yelling wasn’t angry yelling—it was just practical, “get the message across” yelling. But still, there it was: yelling. And the result? A lot of noise, a lot of frustration, and zero chill vibes for bedtime.
Why Do We Default to Yelling?
My husband, Jeff, likes to point out that I’m a classic yell-to-the-next-room communicator. And you know what? He’s right.
Here’s the thing: I yell because I’m trying to communicate quickly before I forget what I want to say. I think of something important, and my brain screams, Say it now, before you lose it! But honestly? This is a me problem.
This morning, I made a conscious effort to do things differently. Instead of yelling to my older kid as she was heading out the door, I power-walked to her, hugged her, and calmly asked if she had the $5 I left out for her school project.
It felt… good. Better, even. No chaos, no noise, just a nice moment before she left for the day.
Are You a Screamzilla Too?
I’m always learning and growing, but now I need to know: am I the only one doing this? Do you find yourself yelling to the next room to get your point across?
Let me know in the comments or share your tips for breaking this habit. Because trust me, I’m ready to trade yelling for a little more peace in our house.
Interested in learning more? Check Jenn Brown Coaching out at www.jennbrowncoaching.com
