Current brain research conducted by educators tells us that when threatened, thinking can vacate the brain and go to the brain stem, where no actual thinking occurs, only the ability to react.
Educators use it to describe student behavior, but has anyone ever thought of applying it to parents?
We have heard of parents going ballistic. Parents can lose their temper, explode, blow up.
But, there is another phenomenon my husband and I jokingly refer to as "going stemmal." Here are the warning signs by which to tell if it has ever happened to you:
1. You have that "deer in the headlights" look.
2. You open your mouth, but no words will come out.
3. You have the vague feeling of motors whirring within a vaccuum in your head.
4. You have heart palpitations that cannot be relieved by any amount of deep breathing.
5. The sight of your child brings widespread panic of such kind that your body walks out of the
room on its own volition.
6. You vascillate back and forth between starring blankly off into space and shaking your head
back and forth in disbelief.
While it is possible you are having a small TIA, chances are that if you have a teenager, your brain has just gone stemmal. You can expect recovery time to last between three to five years or until your child's 21st birthday, whichever comes first. But don't worry or wish your life away during these trying times. They will be gone in a flash and you will hardly remember why you ever needed to go stemmal in the first place.
3 comments:
Mel, The worst I remember going "stemmel" ....I was in the curled up in the fetal position, in my closet, in the dark,hands over my ears and humming to myself so I could block all thoughts of why I was there in the first place.
The incident passed, lessons were learned and you are right, don't wish them grown. Hard lessons are often a wake up call and necessary...those bad days sort of fade into family lore and the good days stay vivid and strong. Thank goodness. C
Dad Gum... "I was curled up in the dark in the fetal position.".........it's still so traumatic I can't even say it right!
Chrissie, having little children never made me go stemmal, only teenagers had that affect. Little kids usually have an obvious motivation for their actions, but I get more irritated by someone who looks like an adult, but acts like a baby. It's the frustration of trying to talk sense to someone and have them not pay one bit of attention that makes me go stemmal! Ohhhh, that and the expense involved in having teenagers may have made my eyes glaze over every once in awhile...Thank goodness those days are over (I am laughing outloud, you just can't hear me!) -
Happy Statehood Day!
Mel
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