Shark Music

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The new school year is here and I’m reflecting back on a very important lesson I learned last year while attending ECFE classes with my son. The teacher began using the term “shark music” as she reviewed a handout and showed us a video. I remember thinking to myself, “What in the world is she talking about?” I quickly learned that what she meant was incredibly all too familiar.

Shark Music | Duluth Moms Blog

She described shark music as what we as parents experience when our child is doing something that frustrates us to the point of no return. We suddenly snap and react to them in a way we maybe wish we hadn’t. I remember going through situations in my head where I was thinking, “Yup, could have done that differently” or “Oh yeah I probably should not have said that”… truth is, parenting is not easy. It can be extremely frustrating at times.

It felt so incredibly good to sit there with the other parents and realize that I was not alone in this. I was normal. My relationship with my toddler was completely normal and my reactions to his misbehavior actually had a name!

My main take away from our chat about shark music boils down to this… the way we react as parents to something that our child does/says has a direct impact of how we are internally dealing with our own thoughts and emotions. If we as parents could get our emotions in check and identify our triggers before responding to our screaming child, we would all be better off.

While what I was able to learn about shark music was being applied to my toddler, the concept of collecting yourself before responding to another can be applied in every parenting relationship. Whether it’s a toddler, pre-schooler, teenager, young adult, or heck even our own parents, we are better off when we manage our own emotions or what may be bothering us personally before responding to anyone.

Often times, our mood or reaction can set the tone for the entire day. If I wake up cranky because I didn’t get anything done yesterday and my to do list is a mile long, I’m setting a negative tone for not only myself, but for my child as well. He will be able to sense my frustration and it could have a direct impact on his day and his mood. My shark music may be lurking in the background before he even does anything to trigger it at all.

Frustration can just lead to more frustration, but identifying it and dealing with I think before moving forward can have a totally different outcome. 

Shark Music | Duluth Moms Blog

Do me a favor, take a few minutes today and sit down with a piece of paper and pen and write down a few things that “trigger” you as a parent with your child or children and identify what your shark music is. I promise it will make this parenting thing go a little more smoothly for you! I know it’s had quite the impact on me and my life with my energetic toddler! We are both able to enjoy our days more and our very precious time together.