It’s Not Just Good Times All the Time
Anyone who has children, whether it's boy or girl, one or five or seven, knows that kids are a handful. They are the most perfect creatures of this universe – most of the time. The thing is, with kids, just as with adults, we have to figure out their moods and their needs and fears and their ups and downs. It’s a little harder because they don’t always know how to express it and if you’re not that good at figuring out other people’s feelings, you’re in for a real (unpleasant) treat. Not only that, but while you’re going nuts trying to figure them out, they are also trying to figure themselves out.
You have to remember that they’re just beginning to learn about this thing we call life, they’re new at everything and sometimes have no idea what’s going on inside of them.
It has to be a little scary to be learning so many things every day and be expected to remember everything your teacher, your mom, your dad, your grandparents, your nanny and if you’re really lucky, you’re older siblings are trying to teach you. Think about it… I’m doing that this very moment and I’m finding out it would be easier to understand and get along with my girls if I kept this present at all times, especially when they’re driving me insane. Unfortunately, I am far from being a perfect parent, so I don’t always keep this type of insight fresh in my mind.
What I am trying to say is that even though my girls are what makes this world wonderful, they can also make me crazy (not in a good way) sometimes. We all have bad days and kids sometimes seem to set their minds on making your day miserable.
Take Victoria for example. She’s kind of sweet and very funny and mostly independent. But give her task she can’t do or say she can’t wear a princess dress or take too long (say, three minutes) between the time she says she’s hungry to the time she’s actually fed and all hell breaks loose. She’s a tiny monster. But this is an improvement in the hunger department compared to Elizabeth who just got cranky and I didn’t know why until she learned that food was in the kitchen and she would take me there and point. Oh, so she’s hungry, duh!
Then there are the times they absolutely must have exactly what you can’t give them and they must have it now. It could be food, a toy, a book, a piece of clothing, candy, etc. Well, both my daughters are really good at asking for what they want one hundred thousand million times in a row, almost without breathing and absolutely not letting me get a word in edgewise.
Not enough? How about the times they fight each other? In the car is especially fun and if there’s a lot of traffic or we’re in a hurry, it’s just a bonus. For the most part, they love and care for each other but they also seem to love getting on each other’s nerves. Say Victoria is in her car seat and Eli is next to her and she happens to touch or lean on Victoria’s seat, she throws a fit and says that Elizabeth is in her space! Are you serious? But she’s not the only insane one, Elizabeth instead of backing off continues to touch Vicky’s seat anywhere she can, even if it’s just with the tip of her finger. Then when Eli wants to sing a song or tell us some story about school, Victoria repeats every word Eli says, most of the times overlapping Eli’s conversation. Eli is annoyed and Vicky is happy and triumphant.
And then there’s the time that…the times that Victoria gets a candy from the store and says she must get one for Elizabeth too. The times I sing her a song in which I get to insert her name in it and she whispers “Eli too, mom”, so I have to sing the line twice – once with her name, one with Elizabeth’s. Oh and when Victoria cries because she’s hurt or sick or tired and Elizabeth starts crying too, because she can’t stand to see her little sister crying. And I just remembered that last week Eli was so extremely proud of Victoria because she was able to draw a perfect happy face with her sidewalk chalk and because Victoria is able to reach the light switch on the bathroom now. Elizabeth ran out of the bathroom and gave us the news “mom, Victoria can reach the light switch; she stretched and can turn on the light with her little hands!”
My favorite is when Victoria takes a nap and Elizabeth takes advantage and grabs her hands, touches them, caresses them, etc. And she tells me “I have to do it now that she is asleep because she doesn’t let me when she’s awake, and I just love her hands, they’re so tiny and soft and pretty!” I also love when they fall asleep together and Vicky's sleepy hands look for Eli and hugs her. Or when they make each other laugh - that's the best.
I could go on and on about this and the more I think about it, the more I think that…you know what? Strike what I said at the beginning of this blog, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TIMES ALL THE TIME.
You have to remember that they’re just beginning to learn about this thing we call life, they’re new at everything and sometimes have no idea what’s going on inside of them.
It has to be a little scary to be learning so many things every day and be expected to remember everything your teacher, your mom, your dad, your grandparents, your nanny and if you’re really lucky, you’re older siblings are trying to teach you. Think about it… I’m doing that this very moment and I’m finding out it would be easier to understand and get along with my girls if I kept this present at all times, especially when they’re driving me insane. Unfortunately, I am far from being a perfect parent, so I don’t always keep this type of insight fresh in my mind.
What I am trying to say is that even though my girls are what makes this world wonderful, they can also make me crazy (not in a good way) sometimes. We all have bad days and kids sometimes seem to set their minds on making your day miserable.
Take Victoria for example. She’s kind of sweet and very funny and mostly independent. But give her task she can’t do or say she can’t wear a princess dress or take too long (say, three minutes) between the time she says she’s hungry to the time she’s actually fed and all hell breaks loose. She’s a tiny monster. But this is an improvement in the hunger department compared to Elizabeth who just got cranky and I didn’t know why until she learned that food was in the kitchen and she would take me there and point. Oh, so she’s hungry, duh!
Then there are the times they absolutely must have exactly what you can’t give them and they must have it now. It could be food, a toy, a book, a piece of clothing, candy, etc. Well, both my daughters are really good at asking for what they want one hundred thousand million times in a row, almost without breathing and absolutely not letting me get a word in edgewise.
Not enough? How about the times they fight each other? In the car is especially fun and if there’s a lot of traffic or we’re in a hurry, it’s just a bonus. For the most part, they love and care for each other but they also seem to love getting on each other’s nerves. Say Victoria is in her car seat and Eli is next to her and she happens to touch or lean on Victoria’s seat, she throws a fit and says that Elizabeth is in her space! Are you serious? But she’s not the only insane one, Elizabeth instead of backing off continues to touch Vicky’s seat anywhere she can, even if it’s just with the tip of her finger. Then when Eli wants to sing a song or tell us some story about school, Victoria repeats every word Eli says, most of the times overlapping Eli’s conversation. Eli is annoyed and Vicky is happy and triumphant.
And then there’s the time that…the times that Victoria gets a candy from the store and says she must get one for Elizabeth too. The times I sing her a song in which I get to insert her name in it and she whispers “Eli too, mom”, so I have to sing the line twice – once with her name, one with Elizabeth’s. Oh and when Victoria cries because she’s hurt or sick or tired and Elizabeth starts crying too, because she can’t stand to see her little sister crying. And I just remembered that last week Eli was so extremely proud of Victoria because she was able to draw a perfect happy face with her sidewalk chalk and because Victoria is able to reach the light switch on the bathroom now. Elizabeth ran out of the bathroom and gave us the news “mom, Victoria can reach the light switch; she stretched and can turn on the light with her little hands!”
My favorite is when Victoria takes a nap and Elizabeth takes advantage and grabs her hands, touches them, caresses them, etc. And she tells me “I have to do it now that she is asleep because she doesn’t let me when she’s awake, and I just love her hands, they’re so tiny and soft and pretty!” I also love when they fall asleep together and Vicky's sleepy hands look for Eli and hugs her. Or when they make each other laugh - that's the best.
I could go on and on about this and the more I think about it, the more I think that…you know what? Strike what I said at the beginning of this blog, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TIMES ALL THE TIME.
posted by Toni @ 8:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home