Parenting is for the birds...

This weekend was rough. The kids had a million different things to do at all different times...I played taxi...if you have kids over the age of 3 you likely know what I'm talking about. The only day that every single one of us was home was Sunday...and even then we weren't home, but at least we were together. This is not an example of our normal weekend. We try not to let our schedule get TOO hectic.

Sunday night...it all fell apart. The kids are stressed about things that are going on (that no child should ever have to be stressed about), Mr. Incredible and I are stressed out and trying to put our stress aside to be good parents to these amazing kiddos we have been blessed with, and the crazy weekend schedule just added to it. We were all a mess by the time we made it home.

Consequences had to be issued before bedtime.

I hate consequences. Doesn't it always seem like parents get punished too? It bites the big one. But consequences in our house mirror whatever the infraction was. Lie to me? Lose the privilege to go places that I have to trust you to be. Potty mouth? Write "I will not swear. I will respect myself and others." Rude or unkind to one of your siblings? Write/Draw them an apology letter and/or do something nice for them. All valid consequences and the kids are able to draw the lines between cause and effect most of the time. All of these consequences take time though...and energy...and mom guilt. I have a bunch of that (the mom guilt, not the energy haha!)...don't most moms? It's something I'm working on. There will be a post on it later I'm sure.

I not a huge fan of bedtime either...it's never the low key, relaxing, kids-are-sweet-as-pie-and-snuggles-are-abundant, time of our day that I would love it to be. It never fails that someone is cranky, someone is overtired (that kind of beyond overtired where they Just. Can't. Even.), someone is off the walls, and someone is anxious or stressed. We do music, a lengthy bedtime routine, low lights, sometimes even essential oil blends...everything that is recommended for that amazing bedtime we all dream of. It's just never that easy.

Add these two delights (sarcasm much?) together and Mr. Incredible and I finished bedtime feeling like crap. Yup, I said it. Parental Crap. I looked at Mr. Incredible and simply said "parenting is for the birds". He nodded. We sat and talked for a while to get our own "calm" back before bed. That is the key. Seriously...the key to surviving this parenting thing. I'm going to give it to you.

The key to surviving parenting...Having another crazy bird to say "Hey that stunk...Let's do it again tomorrow." to and knowing that that person knows exactly what your talking about. It doesn't matter if it's a spouse or a friend...one crazy bird needs another because this parenting thing? It's for the birds.

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