Okay it has been one of those days. I am about at my wits end with one of my children. Why is it that they feel like they need to test you to see how far they can push you? Then when they hit a certain age not only do they test, but then you also get attitude. Let me just say one thing about the attitude, it drives me crazy and pushes me right to the edge. I thought we had at least 3-4 years before the attitude would start. Why does a 5 year old think it is okay to have attitude and where does it comes from?
It all started today at lunch. We went to lunch at Culvers with Becky, Abby, Debbie and Lexi. Allison could not seem to sit in her seat and act like a 5 year old should. She was up and down out of her seat, knocking things off the table, taking things off of other people's tables and interrupting me about every 10 seconds. I felt like all I was doing was dealing with her. We then leave Culvers and head to Target for a quick trip. She starts to get an attitude because she wants me to buy her a winter hat and gloves and I tell her not today. All she does through the entire store is ask me about the hat and gloves every 10 seconds and then whine about it. Oh and I feel the same way about whining that I do about attitude. So as you can imagine I have about had it. All I keep thinking is I just need to get these kids home and all will be okay. We head for home, pull into the driveway and as I am getting the other kids out of the car she starts playing with the lights in the van. Now, I have told her a hundred times to not play with them. I tell her one more time to leave them alone and what happens but I get attitude. She does not even have to say anything it is just the look that I get. That is all it took, I was done! I then proceed to tell her that she has lost TV privileges and will not be watching any TV for the rest of the day. As you can imagine she was not happy with this. She goes inside mad and I continue to get Tyler out of the car. As I walk in the door I see the TV getting turned off quickly. Okay now I have really had it. I walk into the family room and she is holding the remote with this look on her face, I walk over to her and my hand makes contact with her bottom, you better believe it she got a spank.
Well the fit that proceeded was pretty impressive. I waited till she calmed down a little bit and then I went over and talked to her about it and told her I loved her. I thought this would be the end, but no she continued to cry and cry and ask if she could watch TV. Though it would have been much easier to just give in, because I know the crying would have stopped, I stuck to my guns and told her to find something else to do. If there is one thing that I believe whole heartedly in it is not giving in. She did everything she could to try and get me to give in and there were moments that I thought about it, but then I remembered what my job is as a parent. If there is anything that I take seriously it is raising my kids the best of my abilities.
So there is my day in a nutshell, thank goodness Daryl will be home soon!
