Turn Your Cheek to Your Triggers
“If you don’t like what I’m doing and give it attention, I’ll keep doing it. Ignore what I am doing, and I’ll stop.”
This is one of my life’s best lessons yet that I have gotten from my non-verbal child.
One of my son’s conditions causes him to react to the words ‘no’ and ‘stop’ in a way that has made me almost have to cease using them around him. These words, or me raising my voice, just made his undesirable behaviours escalate. So I had to work hard on ignoring anything I didn’t like him doing. And guess what? It works. Obviously, if it was anything dangerous I had to remove him or the object from the room, BUT without saying a word to him.
I have taken this lesson and now use it in every part of my life. If I don’t like something, I realize it’s my choice to ignore it, walk away.
Something will only bother you if you give it your attention.