I don't like the Little Man very much today.
There I said it.
He's surly and irritable.
He talks back. When he talks. Often I'm lucky to get a groan or a growl out of him. Sometimes it's just a scowl.
He leaves a mess behind him where ever he goes. I suppose it's because the mess has gotten too big for his room to contain it any longer.
I'm trying very hard to stay calm and composed. It's getting more and more difficult.
That's right - I'm a Bad Mother.
Call the social workers. Order up some future therapy sessions for him. He drew a bad lot and is stuck with the mom who openly admits that he's not her favorite person today.
I can already imagine all the parenting tips and advice that a post like this could produce as feedback. Save it. I've read the parenting books too. That's not really what I need to hear right now.
Look down your nose at me and shake your head. Judge me. Whatever.
Right now I feel like a miserable failure as a parent on my own. You can either feed that feeling of doubt and frustration, or you can be kind and gentle with me. If you've been a parent for any significant length of time and you are completely honest with yourself - I'm willing to bet that you've had days when you feel like a bad parent too. When you were at your wit's end and didn't know what to do. When you (gasp!) didn't like that offspring of yours very much at the moment. Would you want to be judged at that time? I didn't think so.
Don't get me wrong. I love the kid. I DO! That's not going to change. I just really don't like the way he is acting or his attitude right now.
Tomorrow (or maybe even later today), he'll be back to his smiling, funny self. He may want to sit next to me on the couch and ask me to scratch his back. Everything will be back to normal.
But right now, I'm sending him to his room to do some cleaning. He'll probably pout and mutter something under his breath. He'll stomp off with grumbles of how "it's not fair".
Me? I'm going to put on my Bad Mommy Crown. I've earned it.
I hope it is better by now. Gosh, I can't tell you how many days I felt (and feel) like a bad mother and my kids are grown and left the house. It is hard work to be a parent at any age the kids are at and I think it is okay not to like your kids when they are not acting the way they should, but of course we know you always love them. I think it was wise you sent him to his room, good cooling off period for both of you :)
ReplyDeleteYou are a good parent, it just can get overwhelming at times.....
Thank you! Taking away the video game and some time cleaning the room seems to have helped the attitude!
DeleteBad mother jeez stand aside girl you couldn't even to pretend to be one the line of really bad moms would take you 3 days to get close to the front of the line and then they'd laugh you away!! You both are just having a bad day TOGETHER which makes it more sensitive for both of you. Time apart and picking your battles when they are acting out to push your buttons, nothing wrong with breaking off to your own rooms and coming back out when attitudes have been adjusted along with body language. I wish I could say it gets better because it takes a long ass time and well...some grow out of it once they are married. I can say hang in there and talk it out with us your number 1 fans it will be alright !!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice! Geez... for some reason I expected the boy to be easier in the teen years than the girl was! HA!!!
DeleteEvery family has these days. But you already know that. You were brave enough to put it online without fear of retribution. So you know you're a good mum and he's a good boy. This is just a bad day. And you know that, too. I can tell!
ReplyDeleteThanks Molly Jo. It was a bad day. And of course he is a good boy and I love him. I was just at wit's end and needed an outlet at the time. : )
DeleteLove it! :)
ReplyDelete