I hear the sound of tape. Being pulled, unspooled, stuck on…something. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I panic, brace myself for the tape that will be stuck to my foot, chair, carpet, table, ceiling, wall…you get the idea. Then I sound like my 5th grade teacher, (she of the ‘who’s talking?’ fame), when I bellow, “What are you doing with the tape?”

Scotch tape is cringeworthy, but it doesn’t have the sheer volume of duct tape. Now renamed duck tape, and available in a rainbow of colors and patterns, this particular tape is my children’s new favorite plaything, er, crafting material.

Scissors also produce those fright of flight goosebumps. “Who’s got the scissors? What are you cutting? Put the scissors away!”

Ever wonder how your mom had eyes in the back of her head? The goosebumps helped her.

But fright/panic is not the right response here. If we can identify the sound trigger, then we can deal with it appropriately. Rather than panic and barrage our children with questions, followed by a rash conclusion, ie, “Nobody in this house may ever play with duck tape again!” We can leave the room when we hear that trigger sound. Then we can insist that the children clean after themselves. Let them deal with the tape on the walls, tape on the floor, tape on their feet and stuck to the door.

What are your sound triggers?