My kids are being so naughty lately. They don’t listen, they don’t do what I tell them, and every five minutes someone comes running in to tattle that they got hit or pinched or had their hair pulled. I tell them if they can’t play nice together, they should play separately. And then they start whining and crying about THAT.
I am at a loss. My daughter is three, which was a very tough age with my son. It’s been a shock to me, because for so long he was the difficult one and she was the little princess who sat in my lap and told me sweet baby secrets. Now she’s all like, “Check me OUT, Naughty Girl is HERE and there’s nothing YOU can do about it!” and then she rolls cigarettes up in the sleeve of her white t-shirt, throws her leg over a tiny Harley, and smirks at me from behind mirrored sunglasses.
I am fed up. Tonight I shrieked at them to knock it off so loudly I thought my larnyx might explode. Maybe that’s the problem – my voice is pitched to that hysterical level only dogs can hear. I told them if they acted like this tomorrow, they would spend the entire day alone in their rooms. They are each sitting in a corner right now, and I am vomiting this up all over the internets because it’s better than listening to that awful screechy fishwife that passes herself off as a mommy around here. I don’t like her. I wish she would go away and someone who loves noise and dirt and glitter crafts would come instead.
*******
At one o’clock in the morning, Little woke up crying about monsters in her room. I gathered her Elmo doll and her blankie, and brought her into bed with me. She pressed her tiny warm body against mine; her small arms stole around my neck and she whispered over and over, “I just love you, mommy.” I squeezed her even tighter and remembered, “oh. . . I know you. . . .I love you more than anything on earth and we will be best friends forever.” And my tears plastered her silky hair to my cheek.
Tags: In Which I Suck, My children are eating me alive
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Age three was far worse than age two for both of my boys. Crazy Town. Sorry you had a bad day. It will get better! What a sweet night time moment.
hi kooky´s last [type] ..scattered thoughts and a few purty pictures
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Those sweet moments help put things back in perspective. Hang onto those for the difficult times!
Jamie´s last [type] ..Weekly Wrap-Up- Week 3
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Oh, I know those moments, both the light and the dark. I KNOW them. And I have been there too, have been loved to pieces by my kids just when mummy-ing begins to feel too hard. Those moments are such a gift. Thank you for this post—it made my heart creak with recognition and love.
Helena´s last [type] ..time of the flying fox
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:48 pm
So been there. It gets easier. You start yelling at them to turn off the TV and do something else. They stomp to their room and don’t come out. Hang on to the precious moments. They are so worth it.
Tressa´s last [type] ..The Reenlistment Ceremony
September 4th, 2010 at 9:02 am
I think our daughters are twins separated at birth. We are going through the terrible threes right now and I’m not sure we’re going to make it to four.
And mine don’t have separate rooms to send them to.
Connie Weiss´s last [type] ..My Favorite iPad Apps
September 5th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Three is SUCH a hard age. I want to hug my own kiddos now. Hope next week is better.
Green V-Neck´s last [type] ..Word to the wise
September 6th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Three was worse than two with my oldest daughter, too. My middle daughter just turned three last month, so we’ll see!
Love the John Taylor Gatto quote!
Sara @ Embracing Destiny´s last [type] ..Homeschool Village – History
September 6th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I’ve had too many days like that to count. Days when my kids don’t wake up needing me, but I wish they would, just so I could snuggle with them and forget about the shrieking I did that day. I think three is by far the hardest age. Way worse than two. Four went all right. I’ll let you know about five.