My regular Tuesday morning babysitter (who we hired in January to help out) has a concussion from being dropped on her head at a bar last Saturday night (at least she's honest). She wanted to work less hours today so I told her not to bother coming in and to take care of her head. That left me alone with the kids for another gray, rainy day. I decided we'd go to a Gymboree class to get some of the babe's energy out. She has been bouncing off the walls with all the bad weather we've been having.
She had a great time at the class, but when it came time to go, she started acting like a brat. I dealt with the fact that she opened the bathroom door (attached to the play space) before I was done. I dealt with the fact that she ran off from me in the play space about 3 times before I got her to the entrance. I dealt with the fact that she then ran off into the art class when we were putting on our shoes. But I didn't deal so well when she ran off again and pulled off her rain jacket. The little guy was crying, I was lugging the car seat (with child in it), my very full diaper bag, and my grocery bags (I was about to hit the store in the complex) when she bolted for the last time. And out of my mouth came: "If you don't start listening to me, I'm going to jump off a bridge." OK, so maybe that wasn't the best thing to say in public (or private, for that matter). The Gymboree desk staff stopped what they were doing and gave me the "I'm going to call child protection services" look. That look is still bugging me 2 1/2 hours later.
I suppose it doesn't sound good to say that sort of thing. And the fact that my nerves are shot and my patience is gone is not an excuse. But I'm guessing those Gymboree staff don't have kids. If they do, they don't have 2 kids. If they do, their kids aren't rambunctious and challenging like the babe. I'll try to stop saying stuff like that, though. I agree that it isn't really nice for a Mama to say.
3 comments:
Oh man! Rough day. I hate "the look". It is bad enough when you get it and it is unfounded, like the time a lady in the grocery store stopped me and told me I was a fool to have axel in the back-pack.. "You could trip and fall!!" she told me and I actually laughed in her face and asked her if she went up to all women carring their children and asked them that.
I am certain your kids are listening to the tone in your voice and not much to what you say. and "will jump off a bridge" would fall into the same catagory as "going banans", "driving me crazy" and I am going to explode (kids that age are very figurative). Don't sweat it at all!
When A was that age and we started having independence problems, we started dealing. OK you can choose we said. We go home now or we stay 10 minutes more BUT then we have to go right away, no fuss. because if you do there will be no more deals. Then he got to repeat the deal and then we shook on it. It worked great. Introduce the deal with something easy and a reward. I think we stared with a haircut. If you sit still and let her do a good jobb we will go to the toy store and you can choose something for 2 dollars. Deal?...
Hey, it happens to the best of us...I have a list as long as my arm of things that have made me want to sink into the floor. Here's a few...
When T was very little, she had been screaming for hours on end. I threw her (not literally)into the pram and went off for a walk. Some lady stopped me in the street and said "Excuse me, did you know your baby is crying?" I did not react well, given my frazzled nerves and responded "Look lady, the whole f#*king street can hear that my baby is crying, I'm on my way to the adoption agency becuase I can't f#*king cope, you want her?" or something like that. She walked away adn so did I and the baby kept crying for a very very long time.
Supermarket moments - T pisked up a dozen eggs and threw them to the floor. When I bent down to "talk" (through gritted teeth) about why this was inappropriate behaviour, she put up her hands and said very loudly "Mummy, please don't hit me" Well you can imagine what the people around me thought. I never hit the girls, I don't know where she got that from. I tell you, I felt like hitting her then!
My other favourite was just after having a rather severe bikini wax, T was checking it out in the shower but she didn't say anything. Can you guess what's coming? We were in the doctor's waiting room, very crowded and T pipes up in a crystal clear voice just as the room goes silent " Mummy, why don't you have any hair on your vagina any more?"
HAHA THe trials, chin up, you;re a great Mama
I loved the lack of hair in the vagina comment from one of your friends. Today my neighbor who has FOUR, count em, 4 kids (18 months, 4, 5 and 7)had one of his girls say to him that did he know why mom wasn't letting him drive? It was because there was a big big scratch on the car. Than this little girl said don't tell mommy I told you, say it was my sister. Things got pretty tense after that but I didn't judge him. You can't please all of the people all of the time and don't sweat the small stuff. You are a great mom!! Happy Mother's Day!!!
Amy
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