Tough love

This week saw my mummy skills hit a fork in the road. My girls have pushed and pushed and pushed some more and I just can't give anymore. They are walking all over me and I have to say I felt very defeated last week. I know they are just kids. Kids fight, kids are loud and kids can drive you crazy, but the difference with the girls lately is they are being very rude to Martin and I. This is where the problems occur!

I love them and would give them the world but I can't let them be the bosses. This is exactly what they have been thinking, and due to mummy guilt of working constantly I have no energy to say otherwise. With all this said, things had to change and quick. Punishment had to be effective and they had to learn respect towards us always. 

I broke down and just thought I must be the worst parent to be raising the monsters that have been living under my roof. I felt like giving up, not that I really knew how one would do that, as you can't return them and after so long they wouldn't fit where they came from!

Marty and I had to be on the same page. We chatted about the things we were doing wrong and how we needed to be a united front and we need to be consistant. Repeating the same things when they forget how one is meant to behave. Punishing their bad behaviour of the last few weeks by taking away all iPods, iPads etc (this I tell you is killing my eldest) for at least a month, to prove we have seen a change.

On the whole they have been pretty good thus far. Apart from being on the tired side today and having to be reminded of certain behaviours that we told them not to do. The same reminder is said and it seems to spark their memories. 

I know they will never be perfect, because we are all human. I just want to feel like they give a little crap about not embarrassing their parents every five minutes. That they understand there is a time and place for everything. That bad behaviour will have consequences and good behaviour will have some benefits. 

Parenting is by far the hardest job we are ever given in our lives. It comes with no training. It comes with no manual and problem solving is the name of the game. You develop team coordinating skils, you become a mediator and skilled in conflict resolution. Time management, multi tasking and coordinating lots of personalities is a daily ritual. I love this job with all my heart, sometimes it's just very hard.