Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Using the Force for Good

It was lasting like a half hour at least. Charlie(22mos) had been basically losing it since he awoke from his nap. But let me take this story back a step: I was close to losing it before he even got up. Homework time around here with one of my children is quite the fight - "sit down and do your homework please." "I have to go to the bathroom." "Ok, now sit down and please do your homework." "Hang...on...one...second...I...just...need...to...see...something..." "If you do not sit down and begin your homework, I am going to send you upstairs alone to your room to do it." "I said I am going to do it, see here I go." "Is your homework finished?" "yup." "let me see it...the definition of bitter is not sweet...you actually need to use the dictionary and redo this." "WHAT! WHAT! I just got it finished!!!!" "But you didn't actually use your brain. Redo it using your brain." "AHHHH! I am so tired..." and the conversation continues this way as he completes each piece of his homework. And in the background the screaming begins from the napper that awoke crabby. So, that same homework shirker that was driving me insane begins to do a jester act that lulls the 2 yr old into hysterical laughter. He pretends to run into walls. He pretends to slip on the floor. He knocks himself in the head with his own fist. I begin to grin, and breathe a sigh of relief that I don't hear the crying background noise, and that the one who was bringing me to insanity before, is now my savior. I must remember to use these kids for what they are good for: that sounds kind of bad. What I mean is, Mr. Drama can use his powers for more than just evil. He can entertain the baby. I am going to try to find what drives me craziest about each of my lovely little ones and turn it to be used in a positive way. And then maybe when I see that behavior surfacing, I won't be driven to complete insanity, instead I will see the good that can come from this seemingly Dark side. also - today I tried the "smiling more" thing and I think I freaked out my baby. He looked at me and sort of swatted at my face and said, "stop it!" So perhaps they can sense the fact that I was "trying" a little too hard. I'm going to have to work on this...like instead of forcing the smile, I will actually try to feel happiness as I watch my 2 yr old climb onto the counter, steal his sisters cake and scarf it down with his chubby fingers. Ok actually, that made me laugh. But I had to force the smile when the milk was spilled at breakfast...and lunch...and dinner...(I haven't poured a cup of milk in the last 11 years that I didn't hear the word, "uh-oh" within 2 minutes).

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