I'm locked in the garage furiously folding laundry. Wait, I don't do that! WTF?!
And my daughters (ages 8 and turning 5 today)don't usually earn themselves repeated time outs for back talking, fighting and biting (biting?!? I thought we were past that!).
So far, the birthday girl-on her birthday-has lost the privilege to open her gifts....who the hell offered that punishment???? Shelby, her older sister, has spent more time today screaming from her time outs than she has functioning in the household. WHAT HAPPENED????
So, I'm locked in the garage folding laundry like a possessed housewife evaluating the word "Deserve". My kids have always deserved things because they're (almost) always well behaved, follow my directions, live up to my expectations with their public behavior and are generally enjoyable children. So, yes, I bought them new school clothes and a few new shoes. It's summer time so okay, I've taken them to the water park, and to horse camp and gymnastics camp. And, I admit, we've had ice cream practically every day over the past 5 weeks, but hey, it's summer and let's face it-my kids are pretty awesome. They deserve that...
Well, they "were" awesome up until today. As a parent, it's important to always examine the bigger picture, so let's rewind a few days: We had a big weekend. Their cousins stayed overnight (for the first time) and we hung out at a fundraiser/bounce house and then attended a birthday party (okay, a HUGE weekend). Needless to say, by Monday morning the girls were downright pooped. And unfortunately for us all, this day would allow zero down time. It was a day of celebration. It was Ana's 5th birthday and that's when my well-deserving children went perfectly wonky.
That's when I found myself resisting the urge to physically shake them into shape in a pleasant little waterfront cafe at Ana's birthday lunch with Mimi. Instead, I sat stabbing at my salad while my daughters lay completely prone across the bench seats kicking one another and pulling each other's hair. I will not freak out. I will not freak out.
So now I'm asking myself, as I load the 6th pile of pinks in the washer,did I spoil them? Did I create these devil children? Have I given them too much? Do I deserve this behavior from my kids in public?
The word deserve means to be entitled to or worthy of. Does this mean that I am entitled to foul and rotten treatment from my children for what I've given them? Do we deserve an entire day like this?
Tomorrow, I've decided that we will all suffer the day together in solitary confinement-no play dates, no ice cream, no presents, no nothing. The theme for the day is "Breaking Bad" as it will be my personal mission to break any bad behaviors I witnessed today by the end of tomorrow.
"John," I declare, with my hand held in oath, "I swear to you by the time you arrive home from work tomorrow I will have rehabilitated our children to their normal pleasant selves. Tomorrow we will be 'Breaking Bad.'"
Wish me luck.
And my daughters (ages 8 and turning 5 today)don't usually earn themselves repeated time outs for back talking, fighting and biting (biting?!? I thought we were past that!).
So far, the birthday girl-on her birthday-has lost the privilege to open her gifts....who the hell offered that punishment???? Shelby, her older sister, has spent more time today screaming from her time outs than she has functioning in the household. WHAT HAPPENED????
So, I'm locked in the garage folding laundry like a possessed housewife evaluating the word "Deserve". My kids have always deserved things because they're (almost) always well behaved, follow my directions, live up to my expectations with their public behavior and are generally enjoyable children. So, yes, I bought them new school clothes and a few new shoes. It's summer time so okay, I've taken them to the water park, and to horse camp and gymnastics camp. And, I admit, we've had ice cream practically every day over the past 5 weeks, but hey, it's summer and let's face it-my kids are pretty awesome. They deserve that...
Well, they "were" awesome up until today. As a parent, it's important to always examine the bigger picture, so let's rewind a few days: We had a big weekend. Their cousins stayed overnight (for the first time) and we hung out at a fundraiser/bounce house and then attended a birthday party (okay, a HUGE weekend). Needless to say, by Monday morning the girls were downright pooped. And unfortunately for us all, this day would allow zero down time. It was a day of celebration. It was Ana's 5th birthday and that's when my well-deserving children went perfectly wonky.
That's when I found myself resisting the urge to physically shake them into shape in a pleasant little waterfront cafe at Ana's birthday lunch with Mimi. Instead, I sat stabbing at my salad while my daughters lay completely prone across the bench seats kicking one another and pulling each other's hair. I will not freak out. I will not freak out.
So now I'm asking myself, as I load the 6th pile of pinks in the washer,did I spoil them? Did I create these devil children? Have I given them too much? Do I deserve this behavior from my kids in public?
The word deserve means to be entitled to or worthy of. Does this mean that I am entitled to foul and rotten treatment from my children for what I've given them? Do we deserve an entire day like this?
Tomorrow, I've decided that we will all suffer the day together in solitary confinement-no play dates, no ice cream, no presents, no nothing. The theme for the day is "Breaking Bad" as it will be my personal mission to break any bad behaviors I witnessed today by the end of tomorrow.
"John," I declare, with my hand held in oath, "I swear to you by the time you arrive home from work tomorrow I will have rehabilitated our children to their normal pleasant selves. Tomorrow we will be 'Breaking Bad.'"
Wish me luck.
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