Gah! Who knew it would be so hard?
I've set up baby steps here. I've managed to get up five minutes earlier the last two days. OK, yeah, it's not a lot, but most of you moms out there know that a LOT can get done in five minutes. In fact, this morning, I did find that I had a few minutes to spare before I had to get Izzy out to the car (more on that later), and if it had just been maybe a couple MORE, I maybe could have had breakfast at HOME instead of at my desk between phone calls. Wow!
I'm worried this may not be the best time to attempt to sit down and read MORE to the kids. Baseball/softball season is now in FULL swing. The nights we have practices (And due to scheduling changes, Mary and Keith now both have practice on Thursdays--and usually in different locations!)are NOT the nights to sit down and read an extra book. It's going to have to be rush, rush, rush on those nights. I'll just have to make up for it on the nights we're not busy--which is now Wednesdays!
Izzy. She's a enigma all on her own. She's still very willful and stubborn and CONTRARY. We've been through this with kid 1 and kid 2--we just don't have the energy to put up with it with kid 3. "I'm hungry." "I don't like that." "I'm hungry." "I don't want to eat that." "But I'm hungry." AAAAAAAAAAAUGH!
The power struggles! Oh! The power struggles! She's wants it her way ALL THE TIME. I am so confused about what things to LET GO and what things to PUT DOWN MY FOOT about.
I want to let things go more. But time constraints (even if I were to get up a whole HOUR earlier) limit me and my best intentions. It honestly doesn't matter how much earlier I wake up or wake HER up--if she's in one of her power struggle moods, it's going to be a fight to get her dressed. And in the evenings, if I fix something she's decided she doesn't like (despite LOVING it just a few days ago), there is going to be a fight. I don't have the money, energy, or time to be a short order cook. And when we need to get ready for bed, there is only so much time I'm willing to fight with the putting-on-the-pajamas struggle (It's the morning in reverse!) and still have the time and serenity to read her that extra book!
This morning after FINALLY getting dressed, she actually ate her cereal in a timely manner. I was so excited! Yes! We're making excellent time! (see above) Oh wait--nope. She hasn't put on her shoes/jacket yet. Ah yes. ANOTHER power struggle. Another distraction in the form of Mary bringing out the bunny Brownie. Another frantic Mom barking at her daughter to PLEASE, get your shoes on, PLEASE get out to the car! in every voice range from the begging to the demanding.
I don't have the patience to deal with her power struggle choice of the moment.
So! This is what I've got to deal with. This is what I need to work on! And TRY to find the fine line between letting her get her way--and letting her know that things HAVE to go my way when she's pushing too far.
It's no wonder I turn all cranky and impatient. It's confusing and frustrating and.... Well, I'll keep taking my baby steps. And keep trying. And see how I do (in the mornings, anyway) when I get up TEN minutes earlier!
2 comments:
Wow, that so describes Addy. The more you need her to hurry, the slower her movements become. It's like she can sense that she essentially has control of the situation and is truly enjoying it! It's also hard because it's not one of those clear cut behavior issues like hitting or stealing a toy where I can just send her to time out. Meanwhile, my voice is getting angrier and louder in an attempt to bully her into behaving, and I hate myself in those moments. Yuck. I am looking forward to her being closer to five or six, when I won't feel its unreasonable to say, "If you're not ready when this timer goes off, you shave ten minutes off bedtime," or something like that.
Hmm, Izzy and Cait would make an interesting team.
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