Driving home from a short visit to my parents’ house today I was forced three times by my children to pull the car over to the side of the road.
Each instance was preceded by the warning every parent swears she’ll never shriek but yet eventually, driven past all rationality, does; to wit: “Don’t make me stop this car!” I swore, I shrieked, I pulled over. Three times. For sins ranging from the continual poking of sisters to ice exploded from a de-lidded cup to wiggling imps slithering from their seat belts to pull-ups soaked clear through. I arrived home exhausted, disheartened and able to do nothing more demanding than blearily click through my feed reader and stare at the television. And wonder for the thousandth time this month if I’m up to the task of raising these children, or any children.
It scares me to think that I’m not.
How frequently I wonder does the average parents feel this? Are there any lucky few who every day feel confident to provide the love, structure and discipline necessary for transforming miniature wild things into productive lil worker bees suitable for office, boardroom or construction site? I fear I’ll never get them to this point. I fear they will be forever dropping toothpaste on the floor, forever leaving indiscreet pee puddles in corners, forever refusing even the simplest request to the point that they seem closer to Vlad the Impaler than tabula rasa.
I am wretched tonight with worry and despair. Tomorrow will be better. Right? Tell me that tomorrow will be better.
Please?
I worry about my children that way too, every day. I swear they will stop peeing on teh floor and will start listening a little more. I hope your days get better! hugs
Children are like the weather, ever changing. Tomorrow will be better. May not be any less exhausting, but it will be better.
I was a child just like that, an absolute horror, my mum had to keep me on a leash when we went out. Once she even had to call the fire brigade because I got my head stuck in a bar stool and It took three fire men to set me free. I am now a fairly normal, responsible and polite adult so there is hope.
I did tell y’all about when the boy got his head stuck in the toilet seat, eh?
Tomorrow WILL be better..You’ll still feel like using up an entire roll of duct tape on them,,but it Will be better…
I still want to patent that Velcro Wall idea…..
((you))
We often threaten to attach the children to the undercarriage of the vehicle. It seems to work for now. lol
peace…
My mom used to threaten to 1) replace the seats in the car with those from McDonalds and the carpet with linoleum because we were so messy -AND- 2) install one of those gates that police cars have between the front seats and the back seat – they are sold in pet catalogs.
Oh man. If only I could get those to fit *between* the kids too. Heaven!
I feel like that a lot and I only have the one! It amazes me when people can deal with more than that. I have friends who are part of a family of 8 and it always seems peaceful in their house, they do crafts and hang out together all the time. But I also know from my friends that its sometimes like a riot house!
I don’t have a car, but the bus is always fun. Especially when he makes loud innapropriate annoucements!
Tomorrow is never better or worse – just different.
Do you see what visiting the Grumpies led to? Let that be a lesson to you.
My little monster turns 13 today and he hardly ever pees in the corner anymore ;)
Cheers,
sss
Oh god. I weep. :)
If you can keep from stapling them to the ceiling and using them for pinatas, it gets better. Eventually. Some days are better than others; it’s those ‘others’, though, that’ll have you searcing for the staple gun.
Hang tough. You’re doing great.
<3<3
It really does get better. Chances of you raising another Vlad are slim. My Damin and Regan are now real functioning adults. You’re a good mother going through “those” days.
ACK! Damien, not Damin.
Tommorrow will be different, that’s for sure!
My son is disabled, and I worry that he will never be able to be completely independent. Little things he cannot do, like fix his own breakfast (he’s 10) grip me with fear. I don’t know what the future will hold, but I do know this: I can only love him and do the best I can to get him ready to live in the world. The rest I cannot control and must relinquish. And pray! :D
I bet today is already better than yesterday if for no other reason than you can put yesterday to bed. Hope today is full of nothing but rainbows and joy!
I was wondering the same thing, over and over again. Am I strong enough to raise two kids under three by myself?? I want to give up more times than I care to express and hand them over to dad, but I don’t. I know I couldn’t handle the thought of them thinking I gave up on them or didn’t love them enough. It’s so hard to believe that this too shall pass. Hang in there, you are not alone.
with one that is 23 and one that is about to be 15, i can honestly say that it does not get better really, it just changes. You learn how to deal with it a bit better the older they get, but it never completely goes away.
I think we’ve all had days like that with our kids. I’m sure tomorrow will be better!
Maybe you could carry a plant mister in the glove box. My cats are selectively deaf, and I’ll tell ya – nothing knocks em down a peg or two like an unexpected spritz of water.
“Maaaaammm she’s poking meeee”
*spritz*
If nothing else, it might make you feel better. And it’d clean your upholstery, too!
Spritz, or stream? :)
It probably won’t be better tomorrow, but the good news is you are completely normal. Any mother who says that they don’t think thoughts of running away with the circus is lying. Especially single mothers.
d
Just today I was glad we’re done having kids (4.5 yo boys, and a 22mo girl) while simultaneously wondering how much fun I missed without them.
You’re completely normal. Just keep up the good work. Figure out what you can do to keep them tired — but not overtired — and keep your chin up.
We all pottied in corners when we were little and *most* of us grew up just fine. At least the little boys can acceptably pee outside (although I’m also going to teach my daughter. Peeing outside is an important skil).