The short version is: two of us have used some of our lives, one of us claims he hasn’t used any, all of us are way more mindful of how we say things when we are displeased or struggling, and overall, not complaining is getting a lot smoother with practice. Also? People in general complain a LOT. And it takes some effort to not join them.

We’ve moved to stating facts. For example, the first Thursday of this challenge, Wyatt lost his first life in within the first few minutes of waking up: “I hate Thursdays,” and then he realized what he had said. “GAGUUUGH!”

But today, here’s how it went:

“Mom. Today is the day I have two periods of math and two periods of language arts.”

“I see what you did there! Nice one. But you know what else today is? The last day before break.”

"It probably won’t be that much different from every other day.”

“Fair, fair.”

We’ve also moved to asking for what we need or want. Like I said to Wyatt the other day, “I’ve noticed you’re not hanging up your swim stuff after practice, and that’s leaving me to clean up behind you, which makes me annoyed because I don’t want that job. Can you please pay better attention?”

And sometimes one of us will hear another one say something that’s on the edge of complaint, and ask the question, “Was that a complaint?” and the person says that either it was or that, no, it was just a statement about how they were feeling, in which case, super.

Also, there’s the choice to, as my dad would say, “zip it.” As in, “Zip your mouth shut.” I’ve had a couple of moments in the last two weeks when I was too irritated for mental somersaults and backflips and chose to simmer and say nothing in the moment. I addressed it later when I could be more … positive. It did not feel good in the moment, but I know complaining wouldn’t have, either. And I’m choosing believe that this new approach was more effective.

Two weeks to go!