Just another day at the office
Ah. Just returned from a week of vacation, so you'd think I'd be relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to be a nice mom again. Not so.
I think I'm going to ask this blog's board of directors (didn't know we had one, didja?) for a name change... Something along the lines of Mean Mom and her Sweet Sister (guess who I am).
Feels like all I did today was gripe at the kids. Sure, I had a lot to get done (and I did get a lot done) but it wasn't one of those days that I was trying to do too much. The littlest boy got a nap. The oldest boy didn't but he did spend about an hour alone in the room with the door shut (in Quiet Time, which is our nap alternative). But this was just a day when all my buttons were pushed.
I have to admit, days like this are the absolute hardest part of being a stay at home mom. Not the days kids are sick or doctor visits or being the chauffeur to their activities. It's days like this when I'm on the phone for 30 seconds and just about get clobbered with a mini soccer ball. When I'm picking up their toys only to have the youngest in the other room pulling out clothes from the dresser. When I'm trying to get the oldest dressed and he smacks me in the face about a dozen times because he must, I repeat must, do the chicken dance while I'm trying to get his jammies on. When I'm in the kitchen and they are walking all over me. Literally. With their sweet lookin' See Kai Runs. When I say, "Could you pick up that paper you just cut into 100 pieces with your scissors?" and the answer is, "No way Jose." (Don't know where he learned that one.) These kinds of days make me scream.
Unfortunately, I do. Usually at them. Actually, I'm not much of a screamer, more a yeller. Or maybe that's even an exaggeration. I'm just a non-patient person with gainfully employed vocal chords, that's me. I struggle with how to express to them that I'm irritated at their behavior and I'm (even more) irritated at myself for not being mature enough to handle it. And the hard thing about days like this is that I have no colleagues or (in my case) patients who can make a bad day better by offering encouragement or sympathizing or by simply being adults. Instead, I have these two little people who are subject to me and my moods and who break my heart in a million pieces by saying things like, "Mommy, are you frustrated with us? It's hard being a mommy, isn't it?". Sob. On the one hand I'm proud that he's that receptive but on the other hand I wish that wasn't what he had to recept.
Parenting is just hard. Not because it's rocket science but because it's constant and you don't get a mental health day and because sometimes kids and parents just don't get along and because you don't get an objective annual review that tells you how to improve yourself . Trust me, there are tons of rewards, that isn't lost on me. But that's for another post. This post is about the hard part.
So what else can I do at the end of a day like today except spend my post-bedtime (for them) hours eating packets (PLURAL) of Hershey's Kissables (the greatest candy invented, IMHO) and watching a little YouTube for laugh or two.
So if your day has stunk (or if you just like to laugh) watch this. (There are 7 parts, and here's one of them, but watch them all. In succession with Halloween candy in hand. You'll be glad you did.)
I think I'm going to ask this blog's board of directors (didn't know we had one, didja?) for a name change... Something along the lines of Mean Mom and her Sweet Sister (guess who I am).
Feels like all I did today was gripe at the kids. Sure, I had a lot to get done (and I did get a lot done) but it wasn't one of those days that I was trying to do too much. The littlest boy got a nap. The oldest boy didn't but he did spend about an hour alone in the room with the door shut (in Quiet Time, which is our nap alternative). But this was just a day when all my buttons were pushed.
I have to admit, days like this are the absolute hardest part of being a stay at home mom. Not the days kids are sick or doctor visits or being the chauffeur to their activities. It's days like this when I'm on the phone for 30 seconds and just about get clobbered with a mini soccer ball. When I'm picking up their toys only to have the youngest in the other room pulling out clothes from the dresser. When I'm trying to get the oldest dressed and he smacks me in the face about a dozen times because he must, I repeat must, do the chicken dance while I'm trying to get his jammies on. When I'm in the kitchen and they are walking all over me. Literally. With their sweet lookin' See Kai Runs. When I say, "Could you pick up that paper you just cut into 100 pieces with your scissors?" and the answer is, "No way Jose." (Don't know where he learned that one.) These kinds of days make me scream.
Unfortunately, I do. Usually at them. Actually, I'm not much of a screamer, more a yeller. Or maybe that's even an exaggeration. I'm just a non-patient person with gainfully employed vocal chords, that's me. I struggle with how to express to them that I'm irritated at their behavior and I'm (even more) irritated at myself for not being mature enough to handle it. And the hard thing about days like this is that I have no colleagues or (in my case) patients who can make a bad day better by offering encouragement or sympathizing or by simply being adults. Instead, I have these two little people who are subject to me and my moods and who break my heart in a million pieces by saying things like, "Mommy, are you frustrated with us? It's hard being a mommy, isn't it?". Sob. On the one hand I'm proud that he's that receptive but on the other hand I wish that wasn't what he had to recept.
Parenting is just hard. Not because it's rocket science but because it's constant and you don't get a mental health day and because sometimes kids and parents just don't get along and because you don't get an objective annual review that tells you how to improve yourself . Trust me, there are tons of rewards, that isn't lost on me. But that's for another post. This post is about the hard part.
So what else can I do at the end of a day like today except spend my post-bedtime (for them) hours eating packets (PLURAL) of Hershey's Kissables (the greatest candy invented, IMHO) and watching a little YouTube for laugh or two.
So if your day has stunk (or if you just like to laugh) watch this. (There are 7 parts, and here's one of them, but watch them all. In succession with Halloween candy in hand. You'll be glad you did.)
posted by Left Coast Sister at 10:57 PM
6 Comments:
Ahhhmen! Why is it always the days we try to get the most acomplished that we are so fustrated at the little ones for everything. Thank goodness they are so forgiving. Our household is a see kai run household too, gotta love those cute shoes they have. keep up the good work being a mom and also posting great reading material.
You said it sister. You're not alone and it's comforting to know that I'm not alone either. I hate days like this!!! Sometimes (it seems like more than that in my case) we have moments of what I like to call a 'complete mommy meltdown, only to feel guilty and eat an entire bag of chips (or whatever I can get my hands on). But, we are only human, after all. We have bad days. I'd never ever even dream of going back to the days of b.c (before child), but this is HARD stuff. Where is the manual???
Tomorrow is another day. Sleep well and know that your boys love you, a lot.
umm...I think it should be renamed "The Silent Sister and The Funny, Smart, Amazing-at-Capturing-Ideas Perfectly Sister."
Thanks for keeping up our blog, and thanks for hitting the sweet spot so often.
nothing more to say; you said it so well. Except this:
wait until they're teenagers.
:)
Thanks for the support!!
Paula, you're right... I'm glad they are so good at forgiving and that their entire sense of self doesn't depend on my bad day.
Shelly, it is good to remember we are only human.
prrrof, maybe if I was less opinionated I'd have less to say. There are those who think I could lose a few opinions now and again....
jay are, you are in the land of my dread. If this is life at 3, I can only imagine what life at 13 is like. Yeeps. Best of luck there, my friend!
And yes, another day makes a difference. A good night of sleep... a few cans of Diet Coke (I've fallen off the wagon again)... life does keep going, which is good good good!
did you have my day...my week?? My voice??
Gracias hermana madre!
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