Parenting Confessional #7941
Goes a little like this:
I had to work late and Cohen had baseball practice so we rolled back into the house last night around 7:45, exactly 12 hours after walking out of it.
Mark is gone, making bedtime a one man game!
I say to the kids "get your pajamas on bedtime is coming quick"
They cordially agree.
They request to watch a movie. I say it may be better to read books because there is not a lot of time as it is almost 8 by this point.
They convince me that after 10 minutes of a movie they will happily shut it off and go to bed.
They win.
Start the movie.
My observation: Wow they are sitting very quietly and nicely perhaps
I can still get Benson's bath in!
My Action: Hey Cohen and Kadence, you are both sitting so nicely and quietly that I am going to let you watch your movie an extra 15 minutes while I give Benson a bath but when we come out it is time for bed. No whining about shutting it off ok? "ok" they agree!
Finish bath.
Shut off movie.
Tuck into bed.....goes like this:
Me: Ok tonight mommy was nice and let you watch a movie AND mommy let you watch your movie extra long AND let you stay up late since you were sitting so nicely, so what are you going to do for me tonight?
Kadence responds by laying down and pretending to snore and sleep and Cohen says go to sleep without messing around! EXACTLY I agree.
Benson at this point is starting to voice his opinion that he is also tired and hungry.
Hugs and Kisses
Last reminder: What do we do at bedtime?
Response: Lay down! No talking! Go to Sleep! yes yes yes! Good response.
Make a bottle.
Sit down.
Attempt to put Benson to bed....
The whispering starts.......
Then the giggling........
Then a little louder talking.....
Is that jumping? Are they jumping from bed to bed?!
Benson has the eye fluttering almost asleep vibe going on...
Out comes one kid "mom can I have a drink?"
Out comes the next kid "mom I'm hungry."
Go to bed!
Out comes one kid "Mom I need to tell you something."
GO TO BED
Out comes the next kid "mom I need to tell you something."
GO TO BED! NO WAIT GO GET IN MY BED NOW!
For the next 15 mins, said kid in my bed is saying over and over....
I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something., I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something. I need to tell you something...
Yup Benson is out,
finally gives into sleep
which has eluded the poor thing since his cold and ear infection drama....
Out comes one kid......"mom I'm cold."
by the look on my face said kids goes scurrying back to the bedroom
I lay Benson down.
Go in the bedroom. Grab said kid's arm. "Help" her into bed....Cover her up....saying something close to this: THIS IS RIDICULOUS! OF COURSE YOU'RE COLD YOU ARE NOW WEARING A BIKINI AND YOU WERE LAYING ON THE FLOOR! GET IN BED NOW AND GO. TO. SLEEP. I AM SO MAD RIGHT NOW! RIDICULOUS! Rant rant Rant
Head to my room and continue the rant there.......
RIDICULOUS. WHEN I PUT YOU TO BED IT IS TIME FOR BED. NOT TIME TO SCREW AROUND! I AM SO MAD RIGHT NOW! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW YOU ARE BEHAVING...YA KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SO GROUNDED FOR NOT LISTENING AT BEDTIME. YOU WILL NOT BE MOWING TOMORROW BECAUSE YOU JUST LOST THAT RIGHT BECAUSE YOU. DID. NOT LISTEN. UGH RIDICULOUS! possibly some other crazy rantings carried on...
(***he's been begging to mow but it keeps raining so we had said maybe tomorrow***)
At this point it is dead silence.
or perhaps scared silence.....*just sayin
This is the moment when as a parent you turn around and walk out knowing that you completely overreacted to the situation and that it could have been handled much better but emotion got in the way...yeah that moment. Sigh.
Shake my head at myself.
Promise to do better tomorrow....
I head over to Cohen's backpack to clean out his homework folder that comes home on Wednesdays and here it is :
Yeah.
Instant Tears!
Classic!
Really?!
Like I pulled this out less than 5 minutes from the over dramatic not so good parenting ranting! *thanks God! You're one funny man sometimes!
Funny Funny man!
Then to make it worse I keep going....
only to pull out this!
Yeah.
Yup.
Classic.
I got nothing!
Classic!
I will do better......
I must....
...do better!
I will do better......
I must....
...do better!
