May be that some of you all have your eggs in your basket, neatly arranged, in order, perhaps colored up for this Easter season. All your ducks in a row when it comes to parenting. Not me. I worked with juvenile delinquents for ten years previous to my fund raising job currently. Ten years with the baddest little boys, and sometimes my toddler can nearly make me scream, cry and pull my hair out. How is this so? Well I do have Miss Junior Drama queen for a daughter, oh fun, so that might be part of it. I was thinking one day on my commute to work that when I worked with the delinquent boys I had a heck of a lot more "support" then, than I do now being a parent. Its like your totally on your own. Fessing up to a bad day with a toddler is like admitting something is slipping in your life and in keeping up with the Jonses its not always about money but appearances too. Its hard to admit being a mom is hard sometimes. That's where honesty and transparency in friendships really helps.
So last week I felt like the cheese was falling off my cracker in regards to my toddler. When I worked with the delinquents we had a meeting of the minds every week to discuss behaviors and plans of action. I guess in the hustle and bustle of the everyday I felt like this kid was going to get the best of me. I chatted with one of my friends via IM and she reminded me swift action in a tantrum nips it in the butt faster than anything else. I suppose I knew that, but needed to hear it. So in my effort to beef up my blog with everything family...I might include some toddler/parenting tricks that I have come to appreciate.
Today's moral, I love hearing from my friends what has worked and what hasn't! I appreciate knowing I'm not the only one struggling sometimes. its hard to think I could have possibly been frustrated with the little cuteness of the face below, but trust me on this one.
This is Ella's time out spot. For some reason I have an adversion to the term time out. I guess because I sometimes feel like it is used to side step parenting, and discipline and teaching. We don't time it at all, or at least not yet. Ella is extreamly emotional so she can go from 0-10 in a heartbeat, so we just use it as an oppertunity to calm down and get a grip. She usually asks us to come out when she has calmed down. Then we have an eye to eye talk, an apology and hugs.
3 comments:
As a fellow mother with a fellow Drama Queen...you are DEFINITELY NOT alone! :) It is so easy to forget to be swift in the discipline. Then when I remember and I see the change in behavior, I think...why have I not been doing this all along. It is definitely a good reminder!
On a side note...got Ray involved in the couponing deal. He's excited, and so am I. We are headed out in a little bit for our first adventure...can't wait to see how we do!
Heather, I think the time-outs are really for us moms! :) Sometimes we all need a few minutes before any lessons can be learned. Hang in there, you're difinetly not alone! I don't know one mom who has it all together--even the ones who look like it.
um, Heather, my Mom had to give my 9 yr old brother and I, when i was 11, "nap" times one summer to keep us from "killing" each other and maintain her sanity. We both learned to love reading that year. The Scarlet Pimpernel rocks!
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