Saturday, December 03, 2005

Patience and Endurance Test

Even though we’re having a pretty good day, I’ve realized that actually parenting is just one never ending patience and endurance test. When you have several quite naughty children, it makes it harder.

They test, push buttons, argue, disagree, fight, squabble, are rude and annoying almost all day long. It seems like every interaction has the potential to be annoying, depending on the tolerance level of the parent being annoyed.

I’m working hard to be quite mellow today and not react to much, but it is such a difficult task. I find myself having to count to 10 and breathe deeply and walk away many, many times a day.

I am at my desk after finishing lunch and listening to Bart in the kitchen being given “the test” that I just endured at lunch. I can overhear things like, “I said, DON’T TOUCH IT” and “do you have to be so LOUD” or “Why would it be OK to ....”

So, we endure.

We realize though, when our parenting quotes become part of our children’s vocabulary. For example, last night I was singing and Bart was trying to get me to stop so he said, “OK, we get it” which made me more intent on singing longer and louder. “We get it” he repeated.

Dominyk quips from his bed next door, “Mom .... Exactly what part of ”we did it“ do you not understand?”

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