Thursday, September 27, 2007

More on Self-Flagellating

As I do nearly every night once my children are all sleeping angelically, I lay awake beating myself up for my response to their behavior.

What's wrong with me? I thought I finally had them basically where I wanted them.

And then it occurred to me. I did. I had another baby. 98% of the stuff that they do that drives me crazy revolves around waking, upsetting or otherwise making my life miserable with the baby. It is virtually impossible to do anything with a six month old. You can't play Uno, you can't cook dinner, you certainly can't do laundry (very well--though there is the throw it in all wadded up with all the colors together and hope for the best method), you can't read for prolonged amounts of time. Most of what I'm frustrated with them about is that they want ME. And then I finally get Charming sleeping and have some time for them (or the laundry) and they wake him up (or ask me to read a book when I've just run a sink full of dishwater)!

AARGH! Look out! Animal Mama on the loose!

I'm comforting myself this afternoon that it isn't that they are exponentially naughtier than they were last year, it is that we still haven't adjusted to the bambino.

Long about, say, 2010, we ought to be back to normal.

Side note: I just watched the master disciplining her first graders. Wow.

1 comment:

mommy4life said...

She is the expert, isn't she? I wish she'd come to my house and teach me a thing or two...

Anyway, I know what you mean. Most of my issues come in "protecting" the babe, or preventing myself from "looking bad" (i.e. "Get your clothes on or you are going to be late for school!)