Parental Attitude Adjustment: What an Adult Needs to Change Before Their Child Becomes a Copy Cat

I have found that through the years I have acquired a bit of a roughness around the edges. I speak my mind, and I don't sugar coat it. I have a temperament that is not quite a pirate but possibly a half drowned one. I shout at cars in traffic even though they can not hear me. I destroy a project if it is not to my liking. I have a fire temper, and though it does not flare big enough to cause any withering scorched fire travesties, it does however show that my attitude might need some fine tuning.

Now I may not under certain circumstances care. I kind of grew up as a self reliant anti social quiet (unless provoked) stubborn emotional extremest who was very proud of my attitude, though to be honest I was once less of an butt than I am now... Thank the introduction to society away from the quite country side of my hometown to the college whirlwind for that one...not at all a bad thing, just need to be reined in...

I do however want to get myself under control now that I have a 6 month old child that looks up to me and will soon be copying everything I do. I may not care about how I am, but when faced with a possible mini me...well that kind of opens up a new venue. I want my child to copy the best in me.. not my eccentricities.

So I look at myself in a new perspective. I need to re-figure how I tick, so I can better hold myself when faced with the things that make me go rogue. Awesome...

I had the misfortune of looking at my newborn while my face was upset. That was a great moment...Not really... He took one look at my non-smiling face and started to ball...I was devastated, and I was only frowning at the time. Imagine if I was actually angry about something.

My vocabulary has a good range of words and noises... a good few of these I am trying not to share with my child. I can say right now it is very hard getting upset and having to use a silly word instead of the dark word that would normally make me feel better... Yet it makes it kind of worth it when I exclaim diggleberry and I get a nice big belly laugh from my little monkey.

Along with my new found silly words I am working on keeping a cheery appearance. He really likes a happy persona around. I have a tendency to get very grumpy when put into an uncomfortable situation. With learning how to raise a child for the first time I am always in an uncomfortable, albeit Awesome, situation. I may be upset but I have a smile on my face and will laugh like a crazy person, instead of scream or holler... I must say he is very found of my evil cackle...and it diffuses my building temperament.

The last thing I want is for my child to learn how to be a great cranky stick in the mud like his father before him... Luckily my encouraging wife is there to remind me when I am being a Butt and need to remember to diffuse... I have been known to have a very legible appearance when upset. Now I am working on trying to have a very masked upset appearance and a very defined happy persona. I don't mind my child getting grumpy, cranky, and upset. I just don't want him to be able to effect others like I can on occasion. Just think, great crankiness and an honest keep nothing back voice...not a good combo for my child to learn.

Now I know there are a lot of us out there. Those people that narrate their annoyances as they drive: That___ Car in front of us drives worse than a ....you get the idea, followed by a car zinging to close to me on the right so out comes the finger....

Now I can only imagine what my child will get from that when he starts to copy everything I do. He already says blah blah blah blah blah...which is something I do sometimes... which is nothing now, but wait until he learns sarcasm...

I have begun to learn to hold my breath a lot and to let things go. Someone says something Really stupid.....I....Bite....My.....Tongue....and hope I don't go blue in the face from holding my breath. I even squeeze out a smile and a nod...which helps move things along so I can leave before the visualization in my mind starts to travel to my face and my child has an expression to copy and a new view of how to interact in society.