Nov. 7, 2009
Pecked to Death by Chickens
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I feel like I am being pecked to death by chickens. It isn't any one thing. Or even two or three. It is the great multitude of little things that build up and up and up. "Mom, can I have breakfast?" "Mom, can I eat candy?" "Mom, what's for dinner?" "Mom, is this problem right?" "Mom, do I have to do all these problems?" "Mom, do I have to clean up ALL the Legos?" "Mom, can I play on the computer?" "Mom, can I play video games?" "Mom, can we watch a movie?" "Mom, will you make me lunch?" "Mom" "Mom" "Mom" ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG! Yes, you can have breakfast. No, you can't have candy. Look at the schedule for dinner. Look at the solution manual for the problem. Yes, you must do all ten problems. Yes, you do need to clean up all the Legos. No, you can't play on the computer or the video games or watch a movie. You can make your own lunch. "Mom" "Mom" "Mom" This Mom is tired. Tired of dealing with the incessant questions of daily life. Tired of trying to make sure that everyone is adequately challenged. Tired of dealing with kids who have never dealt with being challenged. Tired of dealing with tears from kids who "got it wrong." Tired of dealing with teaching the need to practice. Tired of explaining what studying means. Tired of explaining that practice means THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND NOT MINDLESSLY RECOPYING THE PROBLEM! Tired of being the taskmaster. Tired of being the bad guy. All the time. Everyday. Tired of being the person who makes sure that the important things happen. Tired of checking the calendar. Tired of being the organizer. Tired of making sure we leave on time. Tired of making sure all the shoes are tied, the water bottles collected, the jackets in the car, the people are fed, necessary supplies for the outing collected, the everything where it is supposed to be. Tired of being the only one who cares even a little bit about a clean house. Just plain worn out. Someone will say, just let it go. Let everyone suffer the consequences of not having Mom remember everything. But how does that work when there are multiple people involved. Do we not go to Michael's piano lesson because Amanda would rather not go at all? What about the jackets? Do we leave the park early and disappoint everyone who did remember a jacket and was prepared or do we stay and I suffer through the whining that someone is cold? And the water bottles... Who sacrifices their water bottle to the person who didn't want to carry theirs but now is thirsty? Or listens to the whining about being thirsty? I tried waiting out the clean house issues. Unfortunately the laundry could pile up for a looooong time before anyone would decide that it was possible for them to turn on the washer or dryer. Even my five year old knows how the washer/dryer works but no one else ever does laundry. Or vacuums. Or cleans a toilet. Or cleans out the car. I have made lists for people to do. Unless I remind people to check their lists and do their jobs, they don't get done. It is almost as bad as having to do it myself. What is the use of having a list when I have to remind people a million times to look at the LIST. And then watch them do the job. And repeat again and again for three kids and each of their jobs. YUCK! Tired Mommy here. |
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