Temper

We rarely talk about the anger of being a parent. We know the lurking danger—of anger turning physical, or crossing a line. That means we also don't talk about the fact that we all lose it. Or the corollary fact that sometimes anger works.

So begins a recent post by Lisa Belkin at Motherlode, her New York Times blog. Motherlode has generally pithy posts on the usual range of parenting topics, and as a crabby mommy I got pretty excited when I sat down to read this one. Entitled "Can Yelling at your Kids be Good?" I prepared myself for something a little different, a little risqué. As one who frequently yells, the Crabmommy likes nothing more than a potential vindication of my colicky character. So when Belkin introduced guest blogger Susie Orman Schnall who shares a story of a moment she calls "frightening and memorable," I took notice.