If you have the perfect child, I don't want to know about them. If your child eats vegetables without complaining, sings, practices a musical instrument daily without reminders, plays team sports and is individually competitive, I don't care. If your child is a good listener, a kind friend, and considerate of his family members more times than not, yeah you! But, I still don't want to know about them. If your child is smart both academically and intuitively and is the proverbially well-rounded child that people gloat (oops, I meant speak glowingly) about, pat yourself on the back though my ears are closed. If your child is more into collecting canned goods for the food shelf than what they can scam from Santa (he brings what you really want), hats off the the 'rents, but please refrain from giving me the details.
I feel like a train wreck this month. I feel like all my good intentions went out the window with the bathwater, and I am living with some demon spawn.
Confession # 1: My daughter did say she had fun raiding the pantry and shopping for the food drive with her dad. "It feels good to think we will be helping someone." This, however, does not negate the ten items on her wish list which she has since crossed off in order to have one big ticket item that "everyone else has" AND would be the only thing she ever asks us for again. Ever!
Yeah, right.
Confession #2: My son skipped swimming practice without telling me. I dropped him off like I always do and when I picked him up, he was not wet. He sat it out because he"didn't feel like it." He had told me that, but I gently (ok, I wasn't gentle at all) told him, "Oh well. You committed to this two times a week. Off you go!" This is a kid who doesn't want to do anything. We wanted some physical and social activity for this introvert so we made the deal that he would swim twice a week. Swimming was chosen because a). it was the least unappealing and b.) it doesn't require him to "jump around and touch other people he doesn't know". I would not require him to compete in swim meets and the coaches are fine with this. They are about fun and hoping that in the next year or two, he will come around. It's not looking like it right now.
Grrrrrrr.............
Some parenting days feel like no one has your back as you trudge forward wondering how these little people will ever become functioning adults who aren't obese and contribute to society in a good way.
This is where I am in early December. No snow to hide the ugly wart of growing pains....mine and theirs. Clearly, I have some kids who are sorting through who they are and testing me along the way. I wish I could say it's all ok, but I wouldn't mind a bit of snow to cover up the uglies. At least for a little while.
I feel like a train wreck this month. I feel like all my good intentions went out the window with the bathwater, and I am living with some demon spawn.
Confession # 1: My daughter did say she had fun raiding the pantry and shopping for the food drive with her dad. "It feels good to think we will be helping someone." This, however, does not negate the ten items on her wish list which she has since crossed off in order to have one big ticket item that "everyone else has" AND would be the only thing she ever asks us for again. Ever!
Yeah, right.
Confession #2: My son skipped swimming practice without telling me. I dropped him off like I always do and when I picked him up, he was not wet. He sat it out because he"didn't feel like it." He had told me that, but I gently (ok, I wasn't gentle at all) told him, "Oh well. You committed to this two times a week. Off you go!" This is a kid who doesn't want to do anything. We wanted some physical and social activity for this introvert so we made the deal that he would swim twice a week. Swimming was chosen because a). it was the least unappealing and b.) it doesn't require him to "jump around and touch other people he doesn't know". I would not require him to compete in swim meets and the coaches are fine with this. They are about fun and hoping that in the next year or two, he will come around. It's not looking like it right now.
Grrrrrrr.............
Some parenting days feel like no one has your back as you trudge forward wondering how these little people will ever become functioning adults who aren't obese and contribute to society in a good way.
This is where I am in early December. No snow to hide the ugly wart of growing pains....mine and theirs. Clearly, I have some kids who are sorting through who they are and testing me along the way. I wish I could say it's all ok, but I wouldn't mind a bit of snow to cover up the uglies. At least for a little while.
I hear ya. We talked about this though. Your kids, as annoying and imperfect as they are (all our kids are annoying and imperfect) are going to turn out okay. They are how they are because they are kids, and when you're a kid it is hard to think of anyone other than yourself. If they do it for five seconds every other month, you're ahead of the game. :) You're a good mom and your kids are good kids and December comes once a year to make us all insane. :)
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