parenting

my hiatus is over...

Ever see that Spongebob episode where squidward punches himself in the face? If you haven't, yuotube that shit, its hilarious. If you HAVE then you will most likely get my parenting analogy.
Parenting is much like punching yourself in the face...or maybe what i mean to say is parenting makes you WANT to punch yourself in the face?
Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids, and I realize how blessed I am to be able to be home with them. I don't have to miss out on meetings, or call in when they're sick, I don't have the stress of juggling home life and a career, because thus far, they ARE my career. I love this life. I really do. But the last few weeks have been trying to say the least. Maybe its the stress of deployment, we are actually able to count in single digit weeks, and we ALL just want it to be over. Maybe I've got too much on my plate and haven't made quality time with them a priority. OR Maybe my kids are being disrespectful little turds, in need of some good old fashioned discipline. We've run the gamut here lately from sassy talk, farting at the dinner table, interrupting mid-lecture, the other day, Ruby actually pulled an Ace Ventura butt talk on me, mocking my nagging. WTF? There is only so much pillow screaming one mom can do before she just starts to lose it. And the sad part is, i only have myself to blame for their awfulness, as I have been the lone parent. So when Gracie says "dammit" when she drops something, that's entirely on me. When Ruby rolls her eyes, or argues back, it's my attitude coming back to bite me. And When Patience talk to me like I'm her peer, and not with the respect she should have for the woman who brought her into this world, I see myself talking at my mother.. the same disrespect and selfishness. As all you mothers who read this can attest, my childrens' failures are my failures, because my job is to raise them, and all that that implies. But today, I also remembered that what that also implies is discipline and punishment. Providing consequence for action. Follow through. Ahhhh, so much easier said then done, right? So after a rough nite of parental mistakes and failures I feel the need to vent
Why do I have to ask you 5 times to put your plate in the sink, when i did the same thing yesterday? Putting your plate in the sink isn't a new task. I didn't just come up with this rule. Where so dirty clothes go? That's right, in the dirty clothes basket. If you know this, why is it nearly impossible for you to put it into action? Since when is it ok to bite/hit/put your sister in a box? Why did I just pull 6 DIFFERENT dirty socks from your dresser? And WHY do you want me to yell at you? If I ask you to do a task, do it NOW. Not at your leisure, dont ask your sister to do it, and for heaves sake DON"T complain about how much YOU do around here. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pick your shit up and put it AWAY!!!
Whew, see what i mean about punching yourself in the face?

Tomorrow I turn over a new leaf. It will be less yelling and threatening, and more follow through. I refuse to be the woman with a**holy kids acting like heathens. I will instill respect and, with luck, humbleness and gratitude. And if I fail... I can blame it on the Army and the deployment rotations :)
Wish me luck!!