I have always considered myself short-tempered. This was not very obvious in a work environment which was my primary realm for 7 years, since the type of interactions you have with colleagues is of a more light-hearted type, and your personality doesn't come so much into professional dealings.
But in the last 5 and a half years, when I have been a stay at home mom bringing up my daughter and now my son too, it really worries me sometimes if my lack of patience is affecting their temperament in life too. I can see now that my son (who's already in his terrible twos) mimics my loss of temper with reacting the same way when I raise my voice to him. I wonder if impatience or short temper is in the genes or if it is something we pick up by example through our subconscious when we are at an impressionable age.
About 6 months back, I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and though I didn't have any major symptoms that I could figure out other than hairloss maybe, I have since then realized that "something" has just worsened my impatience. On some evenings I feel like the children are completely out of control and it builds up to such an extent that things just boil over and spill out. Thanks to my husband pointing out that it sounded like I was the one out of control, and that I sounded very unlike my usual self, that I have become more aware of these times, and manage to step back and hold on to my temper by taking deep breaths or some such thing. But on days like yesterday when he was not around and I was managing both the children on my own and they were making me repeat everything 10-20 times before getting things done, I just lost it :(.
I am hoping to put down some of these things to remind myself to work towards bettering the way things are. Any behavioural problems on the part of children are only compounded by our impatience or short temper being shown on them. Although I believe a totally soft upbringing is not the right way, we have to find the balance between reprimanding children when necessary, versus their small mischiefs/misdemeanours becoming the brunt of our temperament on a certain day. Wow that was so easy to put down, soooo difficult to practice!!!!!
