Adventures in Parenting

I know how easy it is for a parent to lose it.  Screaming, Stomping, Throwing things!  I’ve been there.

I don’t know how they do it, but our cute little angels are adorable and cuddly one minute, and drive us insane the next.

But we are the adult here. We don’t need to be controlled by a 2-foot monster tiny human. After all, we are mature and able to handle life better, aren’t we? YES, we are!

Let’s look at a couple of situations that push us over the edge and see how we can handle them without losing our cool.

Getting Interrupted

You’ve got your hour planned out, ready to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. Johnny should nap for at least another hour, maybe 2 hours if you’re lucky. Just as you sat down with your cup of tea and a book opened to page 2 (you’ve been on page 2 for 3 weeks), you hear the dreaded “MOMMMMMMY!”

A mound of frustration washes over you. You grunt, growl, and gripe.

Our plans, our conversations with adults, our computer time, our shower, indeed our life, is constantly getting interrupted by our children. When we have expectations of getting something done, it’s very frustrating when those expectations go unmet.

The Solution

We have to get it in our head that our kids are not interruptions! When we decided to get pregnant and have kids, what did we think it would be like? Did we think that life would be the same? Did we think we can still wear dry-clean-only clothes and have white carpet?

Children are a part of our lives and interruptions are part of the deal. When they are little, they need us constantly, 24/7. Our time is controlled by our children.

Have you consider the possibility that this is a good thing?

If children were like plants only needing to be watered once a day with no interaction required, would they love us as much? Would they put their chubby little hands on your face and give you a slobbering kiss?

Yes, it’s tiring that children need us constantly, but the other side of the coin is the rewards of love that go with it.

Accept the fact that children need you, they are a part of life, and it’s a good thing. Hold on to your own plans loosely, as I have learned with the constant interruptions from my kids. When we expect interruptions, and expect our lives to be not our own, our frustrations will be lessened. (No, I didn’t say it’ll completely go away!)

Parenting is an on-call position. But we are only contracted for this job for a limited number of years with forced retirement. So remember, along with dragging your tired body out of bed in the middle of the night, give your child a big hug and kiss after you change his diaper; that’s a payment you can’t get from any other job.

To be continued…Frustration #2 Dealing with Siblings Constant Bickering