I just had one of those days with my four year old and almost three year old. I started out the day getting my house ready to host a lunch for our management team. When I am playing hostess, I should know that my kiddos' behavior will be the worst. I told our management team that they were entering a "war zone". Mid-morning, this is the conversation that took place with my Becca-boo. After screaming unrighteously loud for my whiny Will to go get in his bed, because I could not hear another whine, I breathed deep and my sweet girl asked, "Mommy, are you frusterated?" I answered with a yes and she proceeds to tell me that she is tired of the whining as well. I asked, "Becca, I don't want to yell like that, what is something I could do besides yell at him?" In her contemplative voice, she says, "you could hug him, kiss him, feed him, give him toys..." I affirmed her those were great ideas and gave her permission to ask me next time, respectfully of course, not to yell like that. She said she would and I walked away feeling like I had just had an unbelievably productive conversation with a 4 year old.
We had a great management meeting lasting about three hours figuring out all of life's problems and I was on my way to pick up my kiddos from Molly's house, where a babysitter kept them. I get into the house to see my supposedly "potty trained" boy soaking wet with urine and his big sister grabbing him by his neck. This has been a reoccuring theme in his short life (refer to the following):
They are only 15 months apart and sibling rivalry has been an issue since Will was only 6 months old. I told my dear friend, Molly, that I am out of ideas on how to deal with this. We go through seasons, but this seems to be a season of sibling rivalry once again. So, after being interrupted once while even writing this with Will's fingers getting slammed in yet another door, I am ending the day with free printable charts on my fridge to replace spankings with stickers. Will they work? I don't know, but it will give us a new day tomorrow with new incentives. Can I hear an AMEN?
Taking Time
1 year ago