I had two days where it hurt so much to talk I just couldn't. Silent Parenting—it's a new trend. One person said, "Too bad you don't know sign language." I signed back, "I know enough to get by. My kids don't."

The good parts about parenting without vocalization:

You never yell at your kids.

No one expects you to answer "Are we there yet?" They may keep asking, but you ain't telling.

You can indulge in amusing theatrics. David and Rose were literally growling at each other over the snack table, so I got my bear claws up and did a silent growl. It cracked them up and redirected better than my telling them to cut it out.

The bad parts:

You can't add "chat with grown-ups" to the multi-tasking list of make lunch, get the swim suits off, clothes on, and plates evenly distributed.

What exactly are you supposed to do when you are still in the pool and David starts running down the pool deck? Sometimes yelling is a good thing.