All Smiles

 

Wowee, look at how happy those kids are!  I must be a spectacular mom!

Yeah right, this is a testament to how resilient they are, the fact that they can be so happy despite their challenged circumstances.  Lately, I feel like I’m banging my head against the wall trying to parent my older boys.  I’m going through a strange transition (at least it is strange for me) where they are getting old enough to think and do more for themselves, so in turn it requires me to relinquish some control—something I am NOT comfortable with.  To illustrate what I mean, when we went for a walk the other day, Isaac yelled out, “Look! there is poop!”   I immediately responded with, “gross! don’t step in it.”  Isaac is five now and knows what poop is, certainly, he understands how undesirable poop on your shoe is, but I couldn’t help but warn him.  As I pondered why I do this, it boiled down to the fact that I feel like if I warn him and then it happens anyway, not my fault!  I told you! as if to wash my hands of the whole mess, but the truth is, whether I warn him or not, and he steps in a pile of poop the only thing I’m washing is the poop off of his shoe.  Constantly telling them things that they already know causes weariness in me and frustration in them.  More than frustration it causes the little stinkers to, dare I say it, rebel a little. 

Some of our most trying conversations sound like this,

Me:  “Will, you need to get your pjs on now and brush your teeth, or else no TV tomorrow.” 

Will responds with: “oh yeah! (I know it already sounds ugly, doesn’t it?) if you take away TV then I’ll just be really loud and rowdy.” 

Gasp.

  Did he just threaten me?!

  Me:  “Oh no you didn’t! (long ugly rant follows)” 

When did this happen?   We are figuring it out, and while we do, I will take comfort in the idea that I still have two small babies who are completely happy with me calling the shots.