Oh my goodness, somedays being a mother can be one of the hardest jobs you will ever do. Yes, it has taught me to be selfless and what it feels like to have unconditional love for something but it has also taught me how to be so emotional and exhausted that somedays you feel so overwhelmed that tears are just not enough. Yesterday was one of those days!!
Now I have been to every behaviour management seminar and read numerous books and can control most ‘classroom’ situations but having my girls 24/7 puts me in a whole other realm. I know what I need to do and what the studies say but ‘seriously’ in your own house and life somedays its just about survival! Please don’t get me wrong I will always strive to do the right things but I (and you) need to know that to be PERFECT has its own downfalls and problems.
So this is how my day went…I will list them out so I can see how many incidents we sometimes deal with in a day!!
1. Miss 2 is getting those ‘monster’ molars and she has been anything but pleasant. Yesterday she found a large stick and as I tried to take it off her, she screamed at me ‘NO’ then managed to swing the stick around and smack Miss 4 across the face with it. As the anger bubbled inside I consoled Miss 4, then took the stick off Miss 2, who then began screaming.
2. Miss 4 needed to get ready for ballet. Miss 2 cried for 2 hours because she wanted to go to ballet too. There was nothing I could do to distract, explain or console her, so I persevered and so did Miss 4. “Mummy Ive got a headache from Miss 2’s crying”, “Yes, so do I”!!! The problem with ballet is that alot of the mothers I have had as parents in my class so I feel like my children’s behaviour reflects on my teaching ability. Does anyone else feel like they are judged??
3. Lunch time. Miss 2 is a very fussy eater (I love Heidi’s help on this matter but it’s still a constant struggle). So of course today was going to be hard. She usually says ‘YUCK’ and pushes the plate away but today she threw the food on the floor. It went like this “YUCK” throw, “YUCK” throw!! As it was avocado it created a nice mess. So by now my FUSE was nearly blown!!! However I had a saving grace being her rest time… so I pushed through. I counted to 10 and let it go, remembered her teeth and said “this will pass”.
4. After rest I was rejuvenated and ready for a walk. Get them out of the house, for my sanity. Luckily I had put a slow cooked meal on for dinner and I felt good knowing it would be all ready for when we got back. We went for a walk!!! On our way home Miss 2 fell over!!!! She was ‘screaming/crying’ the whole way home (felt like for hours). She had fallen over into a mud puddle and was wet, muddy and cranky!! AND BY 4.30 WE WERE ALL EXHAUSTED!!!!
5. Bathtime!! When we got home I straight away ran a bath and tried to get Miss 2 into the bath. But of course she didn’t want a bath and continue to scream. So as a way to calm myself and re-establish a calm child, I jumped into the bath with her. She was then happy to join me. Miss 4 had washed her hands in the kitchen sink and then came to join us. Our household had calmed down and we were all feeling alot better. But as I turned off the bath tap I started to hear some more water running……….
6. THE FLOOD!!!! YES, MISS 4 HAD LEFT THE KITCHEN TAP RUNNING!!! Which had caused the whole of the kitchen, most of the cupboards and, as we are in a two storey house with wood floors, all of the downstairs playroom. S@#$!!!!! So yes I DROPPED MY BUNDLE!!! Miss 4 was so sorry and worried. I went straight to getting towels and cleaning up. Miss 2 grabbed clothes out of their cupboard and proceeded to drop them on the kitchen floor, then get her cup of water and tip it all over the floor!!! SO I YELLED AT HER!!! “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU SERIOUSLY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING” Then I cried!!! Olivia screamed and cried. I picked her up put her in her room and closed the door, while she screamed and cried.
I hate losing it!!! Miss 4 was worried seeing me cry … but I let her and I told her why. “Im so sad and angry and that is why I am crying. I am so tired from Miss 2 crying all day and now I have so much work to clean up”. I wanted her to see me cry, I don’t want her to be a perfect person that doesn’t say “THIS SUCKS”!!! When I had calmed down I went into Miss 2’s room and gave her a big cuddle. I felt so much better from releasing that emotion. I even looked at my kitchen floor and thought “WOW, look how clean it is”!!!
Ahhhhh motherhood is a marathon but the journey is the real reward not the finish!!!!
Does anyone else have days like this?? Do you feel like our expectations of ourselves are so high? As women we are now able to have a career, be the perfect mother and wife and look amazing and happy while doing it!!!