Testing Times
Well my dear readers, this past week has probably been the most testing I have yet undergone as a parent of two! I should start by saying that I am madly in love with my 2 children and cnsider them a giantic blessing from God and am privledged to witness them grow up. Also I am not writting this for compliments and re-assurances that I am a good mum! I am simply sharing my life, because thankfully, I know I'm not alone! And for those of you who feel alone, I hope and pray you find comfort through my story!
So my week..... My dear son has been refusing to eat and nap over the past few days. His teeth are coming through, poor chap and he is therefore struggling to eat and sleep. Instead of being the normal smiling, cuddly boy that he has been over the past 4 months, he is a dribbling, screaming little man - who is stuck in a circle of getting over tired and over-hungry but not being able to eat or sleep due to sore gums. It is so difficult to watch but also incredibly frustrating as a parent. I know if he eats he will feel a little better, and if he has a nap, he will feel a little more upbeat - however he is not so convinced. To add to my frustration I went to get him weighed yesterday morning and the "lovely" health visitor told me I wasn't feeding him enough. For those of you who know Levi, you will agree he is quite a "Chunky monkey" and I love his little podgy legs - there is no doubt he is well fed!
Now all this I could cope with if I didn't have to add in the daily drama's of Kezzia. My daughter is a wonderful, strong-willed and determined little lady. I sometimes need to remind myself that she is only almost three and not the 15 year old she sounds like. This week, has felt like a constant battle with her, we have spent more time in time-out then out of it and my "stern voice" has probably been used more than Mummy's happy voice! To give you some insight: On Monday after returning from a wonderful trip to town, Kezzia was outside trying to put stones in her coat pocket. Due to the wind and rain I asked her on numerous occasions to finish the task inside, she was adamant she could do it in "one sec and be straight in". After some time, I proceeded to carry her in, what followed? I dumped a screaming child into the porch as the stones began to fly around the lounge, keys were being flung at the windows, the shoe rack and shoes were forcefully making their way from the porch to the lounge, while I dodged Levi out of the way, him now in a flood of tears because of the screams coming from his big sister. After about an hour and a half and countless time-out's Kezzia decided she had calmed down and was ready for lunch. I was completely drained, yet she, was ready to help me put the ham on our sandwiches.
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly children can turn from tantrum to wonderful - I am convinced there is a switch somewhere that gets flicked on and off! However, we have all survived to tell the tale and here are my top 2 tips:
1) Your sanity comes before their discipline. (For example, don't use not going out to a group, for a walk etc as a punishment for them, if you need to get out to keep your own sanity.) You need to remain sane in order for your house to function, don't trap yourself by the discipline you give them.
2) TV time does not make you a bad parent: Every now and then, when tantrums are spinning out of control and everyone is getting hungry and tired, TV can help. It is incredible the power Mr.Tumble or Peppa Pig can have and although I moderate what and how much TV my kids watch, sometime for the sake of EVERYONE, it's good to just chill out and watch TV.
Mum's - Dad's, you are doing an incredible job, keep it up! Apparently good discipline in the first 4 years of a child's life mean it is less likely to be needed in the following years, so there is hope! Keep up the good work and when the kids are in bed, grab a glass of wine and a bar of chocolate and relax! Tomorrow we have to do it all again!
So my week..... My dear son has been refusing to eat and nap over the past few days. His teeth are coming through, poor chap and he is therefore struggling to eat and sleep. Instead of being the normal smiling, cuddly boy that he has been over the past 4 months, he is a dribbling, screaming little man - who is stuck in a circle of getting over tired and over-hungry but not being able to eat or sleep due to sore gums. It is so difficult to watch but also incredibly frustrating as a parent. I know if he eats he will feel a little better, and if he has a nap, he will feel a little more upbeat - however he is not so convinced. To add to my frustration I went to get him weighed yesterday morning and the "lovely" health visitor told me I wasn't feeding him enough. For those of you who know Levi, you will agree he is quite a "Chunky monkey" and I love his little podgy legs - there is no doubt he is well fed!
Now all this I could cope with if I didn't have to add in the daily drama's of Kezzia. My daughter is a wonderful, strong-willed and determined little lady. I sometimes need to remind myself that she is only almost three and not the 15 year old she sounds like. This week, has felt like a constant battle with her, we have spent more time in time-out then out of it and my "stern voice" has probably been used more than Mummy's happy voice! To give you some insight: On Monday after returning from a wonderful trip to town, Kezzia was outside trying to put stones in her coat pocket. Due to the wind and rain I asked her on numerous occasions to finish the task inside, she was adamant she could do it in "one sec and be straight in". After some time, I proceeded to carry her in, what followed? I dumped a screaming child into the porch as the stones began to fly around the lounge, keys were being flung at the windows, the shoe rack and shoes were forcefully making their way from the porch to the lounge, while I dodged Levi out of the way, him now in a flood of tears because of the screams coming from his big sister. After about an hour and a half and countless time-out's Kezzia decided she had calmed down and was ready for lunch. I was completely drained, yet she, was ready to help me put the ham on our sandwiches.
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly children can turn from tantrum to wonderful - I am convinced there is a switch somewhere that gets flicked on and off! However, we have all survived to tell the tale and here are my top 2 tips:
1) Your sanity comes before their discipline. (For example, don't use not going out to a group, for a walk etc as a punishment for them, if you need to get out to keep your own sanity.) You need to remain sane in order for your house to function, don't trap yourself by the discipline you give them.
2) TV time does not make you a bad parent: Every now and then, when tantrums are spinning out of control and everyone is getting hungry and tired, TV can help. It is incredible the power Mr.Tumble or Peppa Pig can have and although I moderate what and how much TV my kids watch, sometime for the sake of EVERYONE, it's good to just chill out and watch TV.
Mum's - Dad's, you are doing an incredible job, keep it up! Apparently good discipline in the first 4 years of a child's life mean it is less likely to be needed in the following years, so there is hope! Keep up the good work and when the kids are in bed, grab a glass of wine and a bar of chocolate and relax! Tomorrow we have to do it all again!
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