Normally, at this point, you would be expecting a post about how great our Christmas was. And it was great. Except that Alana woke up with a temp above 104, and has been slowly recovering the rest of the week. She has teetered from sleeping 10 hours a day and 12 at night, to being so grumpy and irritable that I thought I would lose my mind. Charlotte got the influenza too, but recovered much more quickly. Today we found out that Alana has an ear infection. She had complained yesterday about a sore ear, but today she was so unhappy about it that I took her to instacare. Thank goodness Stuart had the day off, or I might have gone crazy.
I'm quite tired, but I feel so blessed that I didn't get sick! It would be a lie to say that I have been incredibly patient this week. Sometimes the whining just gets to me and I feel like screaming. I usually just walk away, and it's easier to be calm with a grumpy child when you know she feels like crap. I did blow up at someone today though. I was seeking advice and they told me to tell Alana who is boss. Because that works so well with my spirited young 'un. I think if you told Alana "You'd better breath, now!" she would find a way to stop breathing. Ha ha. Sounds funny, I know. But it isn't always. Reverse Psychology works really well though.
Can I just give a brief diatribe on parenting? I am far from the perfect parent. I have tons of insecurities, especially when I know my own parents' views differ so drastically from mine (they are from the era where you do what I say when I said it because I'm the parent, and spankings are given liberally.) I remember being spanked. I sadly admit I have spanked Alana a couple times, and have vowed to never do so again. I'm not saying spanking is bad. If you do it, that is your choice. But knowing my own propensities and short temper, it could be very damaging to my children if I allowed myself to use spanking or yelling as a viable option for teaching (a word I like to substitute for discipline, since it means the same thing.) I think if spanking was important to a child's development, it would be in the scriptures or something. But I don't think "reproving betimes (quickly) with sharpness (clarity) when moved upon by the Holy Ghost" means spanking. What do we gain from spanking? Well, a child gains shame and distrust. Not something I want to give my child.
So, if my child is screaming and you think they should be spanked or yelled at, keep it to yourself, especially if you don't know the entire story. :) Just smile sympathetically and tell me I'm doing a great job. We could all use a little more love!
I can't tell you how glad I am that I didn't get caught up in gift buying this year. I might have been so disappointed with Alana's reaction (or lack thereof) to her gifts if I had focused on that. But we kept it modest, trying to focus on Jesus.
We've had a lot of sweet moments this week. Quite a bit of snuggling, which Stuart and I both love. In fact, right now Stuart & Alana are snuggling while watching Mickey's magical Christmas. I told Alana this was the last time we could watch this movie before next year. :) Oh, and have I mentioned how much TV we've been watching? I'm not big on TV all the time, but it was kind of the only way to survive, and I don't feel guilty at all.
Charlotte says YES to every question we ask. Isn't that funny? Most toddlers say NO like crazy, but not our Char. She's a special little one. She's also showing more spirit this week, as far as what she wants and doesn't want. She's saying a bunch of new words (not just signing) and in general being so cute!
Alana and I heralded in the New Year by painting our toenails purple tonight. It was fun, I'm glad we convinced her to take her medicine so her ears can feel better. She's still tired from fighting these infections all week, but we could all use a little more sleep!
Forgive this long post and lack of pictures. :) And I hope you aren't offended by my parenting opinions. They will likely change many times in the next 30 years. But I will always prefer a gentle approach with my children. They are so precious, afterall. And they really aren't mine anyway. They are a precious loan, so I'd better be as gentle as possible, despite my weaknesses!
3 comments:
I couldn't swallow a pill until I was 16! (Sad, huh?) My mom had to get very creative with giving me my medicine. When I was really little, she would mix it with juice or ice cream. I always thought I was getting a treat! Later, we would break up the pills into a peanut butter sandwich. She tried all kinds of things...I liked the ice cream the best! Good luck!
I think you are a fantastic mother! I really mean it. Also, I hope the kiddos are getting better. I didn't realize how sick they were!
I'm so sorry you guys have been dealing wtih all that sickness...
And, I hear you on having insecurities about parenting... Walking away from a tantrum works the best for me too. :)
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