Ok, I'm going to admit it....
I'm having a tough time adjusting to no nap-times during the day. No nap-times means; no mom time, no time to pick-up the house and actually have it stay that way for more than 5 minutes, no time to go to the bathroom without company or whining from the other side of the door, no time to get a break from playing referee, no time to take a proper shower, no time to have a drink without being asked for a sip, or take a bite of food without having little fingers trying to claim it as their own. Counting the days until they start kindergarten, lol. Ok, so that's not true, (not wishing for time to fly) but today it feels true.
I just felt like the worst Mom today. I yelled too much, put them in the corner and even spanked twice. They laughed at me. They were just into everything and are so destructive. I don't remember Spencer being that way. Maybe I just didn't notice it because there was only one child then? Mikey swung on the livingroom lamp & broke it (the 3rd one in about as many months), they got into a large container of raisins and proceeded to dump them all over the kitchen & bedroom floor, that'll teach me to try and pick up the livingroom. They took all the cushions off the livingroom furniture and crushed little goldfish crackers on them, then pryed the screen off the window, that'll teach me to try and pick up the kitchen. Argggghhhhhhhhhhh....
Today I cried.... I locked the toddler's in the livingroom with a gate and cried. Seems silly now as I write this, but I was just so tired and overwhelmed. How is it that a 1 & 2 year old can bring an adult to tears? Who's in charge here anyways? Sure as heck didn't feel like it was me today....
I finally surrendered.....the cluttered house won. I decided to bring them outside to play on the deck. I snapped this picture of the terror tots giving each other rides on their trike. They are very lucky they are so darn cute! But they'd be alot cuter if they started taking naps again..... : )
I hope that tomorrow I'll have more patience, thinking I might need some help....
Hey God?
......It's me, Michelle
25 comments:
HI Michelle,
I have been reading your journal awhile. I found you through the parenting link.
I can totally relate to what you are saying. My boys are now 4&5 (14 months apart). When they were that age, I felt the exact same way. You are not a bad mother-just tired. Hang in there girl. It does get a little better. The 5 year old starts kindergarden in July and the 4 year old starts preschool in August. I sometimes wish they were smaller again. Except for the diapers,of course!
I love your journal and look forward to each new entry. I will be starting my own soon!
p.s I am still waiting for the house to stay clean one whole day!!
Oh, I'm so sorry you had a rotten day. I remember how hard it was when my kids were little and stopped taking naps. My 2 oldest ones would get into such trouble together. This ought to make you feel better. One time when they were especially bad, I was so angry that I took one of their little kiddie chairs and threw it across the room and it broke into a bunch of pieces. I remember my kids staring at me like I was a lunatic (because, of course, I was a lunatic)...For every bad day, you will get many more that are good. Your little ones are adorable. Hopefully they go to bed earlier now that they are not napping anymore (I remember the drink thing too--I would always get spit-back in mine and have to throw it out!) Hope tomorrow is better...
Their halos are so shiny in this pic!....how can they reek such havoc?......tee hee!
Elizabeth
awwww. geeesh, I have those exact same days with my ONE 3 year old. couldn't imagine having TWO of this little guy of mine, I just might pack my bags and leave. lol.
I sooo understand your tears. truly. my son is edging out of nap times too. of course, he just turned 3, so he should be. But, dang it! how come it can't continue! lol I did take him on rides in the car because it always relaxed him, and sure enough, put him to sleep. But, I gave that up a month ago when that no longer worked. So, now I just deal. It's amazing what you can get used to after awhile. Your little cuties are starting out early with leaving nap days behind, but it's understandable when there is the two of them, they feed off eachother, keep eachother up to really great ideah's for mommy to get all worked up over...lol.
take care :)
Hey, preschool is right around the corner...for sammi anyways. GO sign her up TODAY! for the fall. If all else fails, there's always duck tape. lol
Having a much better day today... Terror tots are actually playing really well together today, thinking my prayer was heard, : ) And Froggie, no plans on sending either child to school until kindergarten. So this is my life for another 2 and 3 years, lol. ~~Gotta love it
The good thing about little kids is, even when you TOTALLY lose it, and throw a box of corn flakes at them, or fling a bar of soap across the room that shatters into a hundred pieces and knocks the alarm clock off the headboard and breaks it (oops, did I say that?), they forgive you and will still be your buddies in less than an hour. God gives them short memories......thank goodness!!
I know it is difficult. You may want to do as the babysitter for my nephew does. She makes them lie down, she quiets everything in the house and forces them to it. Now it is a routine and they will do it john
WOW! How did I let 3 days go by without making a comment in your journal!? I thankfully only have one terror who we have dubbed "the white tornado" running around in my house, and can only imagine the destruction x 2 of them! I have done the same thing as you, gone into say the kitchen to clean up the chocolate syrup she found in the fridge and while in there, she decides to throw every lego, block and domino all over the living room floor, not to mention dump the entire toy box so she can have a "fort" to sit in while watching t.v. Emma gave up naps at least 1 year ago or so. And you are right, it was a wonderful thing to have her napping so I could at least brush my teeth without having her have to brush hers also. I've often sat and cried too, so you are not alone Michelle! We have all done it from time to time! Hang in there!!
Hugs and love, Lisa
I had to laugh when you called them the terror tots....you are so funny!
Terror Tots! Too cute! Honestly the first thing I thought was, "Someday you'll look back and forget the tears that you've shed in frustration, and remember instead the sweet times that each baby has given you. And believe it or not Michelle, you may even wish to relive it again. I experienced the same exact emotions that you described when my son was a toddler. Today, I'd go back and relive it in a heartbeat! Not even a second thought. God bless you and the two little terrors! Hugs, Robyn
omg, i could have wrote this! thank you for posting, now i know i'm not alone. Mine are girls 19, 14, and 15 months with a 11 day old boy added in. between the 19 year old being away from home, but not really lol, the 14 yr olds volleyball, cheerleading, and social life, and two babies, i have never been so busy, so crazy or had so much fun. what a rollercoaster.
Angel
I really like your journal. I only wish I could be as creative with my words as you are. You bring smiles to peoples faces. I just lost my 8 year foster son on the 14th of June. I had him for 14 months. He is going back to a mother who I know will not take care of him in the long run. I am greatful that they are people like you who are taking care of their kids. And sharing the fun moments in life with everyone.
Sallie
Oh honey... I've had more than a few days like this. Sometimes a little forced nap is good for EVERYONE. Mine do better at home than they do out and about. Like, I can't take them into a store or all hell breaks loose. SCURRY! Darlin', put those angels in the room, turn out the light and say goodnight. You'll feel better.
P.S. Never let them see you cry!!! :P
Someday you'll look back and with they we're this young again...especially when they're teens...LOL!
That would be "wish" not "with" in my last comment...sorry about the typo lisp.
Sorry things are so rough :-(
Can you institute a break time instead of a nap time? My 4 year old stil has to take breaks now ... she goes to her room, usually with some books, maybe her barbies and just sits/lays in bed and plays! My aunt did the same thing with her kids until middle school time and it was called "No feet on the floor time."
Moms need breaks too! Iwould go crazy without mine!
I hope you can find something that works for you and them.
I'm printing out this entry and slipping it into my daughters' purses when they start dating. Cheap, effective birth control!
I always say that Riley is so lucky that she's cute....I guess that's true of all the toddler types...
~Tina
I understand the way you feel and i only have 1 baby! I am pregnant with a second girl ad things have been harrowing at times. have faith and cherish the moments with your kids.(even though it is very hard to do sometimes) i agree that it is a good thing that they are so cute! Also i know how you feel about the toddler bed. My daughter is now sleeping in her playpen even though she has a beautiful toddler bed. She just would not stay in the darn thing!
sincerely
holly
Michhelle,
You are not alone. I have a 12, 11, 3 and 2 year old boys. My toddlers drive me to distraction a lot of days too. Nap time is a rare thing here also, and on those occasions they do nap it is NEVER at the same time. And destructive? Lord yes! They are little tornadoes! One day they got ahold of pancake syrup and powdered Nesquik while I was in the bathroom. They proceeded to chase each other around the house shaking them at each other. Syrup splattered EVERYWHERE with the added bonus of the powdered chocolate mixed in! On the walls, furniture and carpet. The more I tried to clean it the angrier I got. Every step I made I stuck to the floor. Ended up having to have professional clean upholstry and carpets. They had to do it TWICE!!! (note to moms: hide syrup! Even professionals have hard time getting it out!) I had to call my mom. Told her if she wanted to continue to have grandkids to hurry and pick them up. I cried my eyes out too. AHHHH...the joys of motherhood!!!! Must be practice for the teenage years! LOL
Dawn
Michelle,
I am still laughing after reading all your journal entries. Not at you, just with you. I have four kids ages 6, 4, 4 (Twins), and 2. I, too, am adjusting to the no naps. Two out of four nap, so I still get a little break. This fall I'll have one child in all day school and the twins will be in preschool 6 hours a week. It's so nice to read about other mothers and their "real" emotiona and day to day chores. Take care and have a great summer.
Mommyb98@aol.com
hey michelle, i have a 16yr-3/12 & 2yr old. I FEEL YOUR PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY 2 YR OLD WAS THROWING THINGS, WELL I STARTING TO GIVE HIM A WHACK ON THE HAND---WELL NOW IF HE THROWS SOMETHING & HE SEE'S THAT I SAW-- HE WALKS UP TO ME & GIVES ME HIS HAND.. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LAUGH & CRY AT THE SAME TIME. WHEN I READ & VEIWED ALL OF YOUR PAGES I SMILED & THOUGHT "DID I WRITE THIS & I DON'T REMEMBER" WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME!!! FORGET POTTY TRAINING... WELL AT LEAST I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE. MY3BOYSTVM@AOL
Bad Mom, Great Disciplinarian!!!
Take it from a wife of a firefighter, a mother of two young children, and a part-time Junior High School Teacher. I work 3 1/2 hours each day teaching Junior High monsters, then I come home to my own monster's. Sometimes I feel that I am the worst teacher and mother there is; I feel like I am the toughest and meanest lady on Earth.
The reality is that teenagers and toddlers are not very different. When our children hit around 5 years of age we feel some great relief, and we sit back and say, "wow, I did a pretty good job." However, our wonderful children turn into teens over night and we're back to where we started. Nobody enjoys going back to step one. What is even scarier is that we become toddler like when we are in the given situation 24/7.
Guess What? You are not a terrible mother. You are just dishing out what your monster's are giving you. Any parent who can live in the same house with a teenager and toddlers must be brave because it is very trying on your patients. So when your beating yourself for yelling, spanking, and other discipline techniques relax, your normal. I find much laughter in the things my teens and toddlers say and do that results in discipline. Live, Love, and Laugh, Laugh, Laugh!!!
A Caring and Loving Parent and Teacher who loses her mind consistently,
Michelle
mpursell@aol.com
It's time for... "Quiet Time"! Everyday when my kids outgrew naps we had quiet time. Otherwise known as a little bit of sanity for Mom time. I put each my children in their room and told them that they had to stay on their beds with a pile of books and a toy. They did not have to sleep but did need to have quiet time. I usually did this during the late afternoon when things would start to get ugly.
Sometimes they fell asleep and sometimes they didn't. But it was a nice bit of time for everyone. I made sure I put my feet up and skimmed the paper instead of doing housework. Okay, so maybe I started the dishwasher, clothrswasher and then skimmed the paper!
Don't feel bad about a bad day. They happen. One day I even put myself in time out! I really yelled at my kids and then started to cry out of frustration. I headed upstairs and my kids asked me where I was going. I told them that I was acting inappropriatley and needed a time out. You should have seen the look on their faces! I went into our bedroom and closed the door and calmed down. The kids learned that adults can be tired and cranky too. By the way, my sister-in-law taught me the trick of quiet time and I will be forver in her debt for sharing! :)
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