Are you heading somewhere beautiful for March Break? If so, you suck! Just kidding. At least its supposed to be warming up a wee bit around here for the next few days, so I can't complain too much about going nowhere for the break. Besides, my kids have daycare all week, so its not like I have to stay home from work and entertain them, like some people do. If that's the case for you, check out some of these activity ideas for keeping your kids busy from Cityline.
Adam is going on a business trip next week, so I am actually very happy its March Break, because at least I don't have to worry about getting the kids to school on time in the mornings. The mornings are still a challenge. But this week I challenged myself to trying to stay calm no matter what goes down and I am happy to say I did well...or at least better. Its required a lot of positive self-talk and ignoring what's going on with the girls.
I feel like such a horrible parent a lot of the time because I'm always snapping at them. Having grown up with impatient, Type A parents, I vowed to be a fun, laid-back parent, but, um, that's just not the case. That being said, I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day, whose kids go to the girls' school and daycare and she said to me, "When I see you arriving at the school in the morning with Little A screaming, I feel like such a horrible parent because you are so cool and calm and in control, and I've usually just finished yelling at my kids." I had to explain to her that usually my cool, calm demeanor is only because I have no voice left from screaming at them before we arrived at the school. My point being, that how things appear in public rarely reflect what's going on in private. This is an issue that comes up with my clients at work all the time. People assume that others' lives are so much more perfect than our own, but the reality is, most of us face the same struggles and stresses and nobody's life is perfect.
So have a lovely weekend and if it doesn't go exactly as planned...try to roll with it. That's what life is all about!
My mother often has this feeling that everyone's life is perfect and everyone's children are so well-behaved, etc and I really think I've broken that cycle by realizing it's just not true! Everyone has their issues. I think once you realize that, getting so worked up over your own isn't so intense.
ReplyDeleteYou are wise beyond your years Joanne! I know from being a therapist, that there is no such thing as perfection, no matter what someone's life appears like on the outside!
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