Tuesday, April 2, 2013

I quit....at least for tonight. My epic parenting fail

I was planning on sharing fun pictures and experiences from our weekend campout. I was also planning on sharing fun pictures from our Easter adventures and some funny-isms the boys have pulled out the last few days that I still laugh at.

But then tonight happened.

We made the deal last night that we would go see The Croods for family night if we all agreed to clean the house tonight since we missed out weekend cleaning due to camping. Well that blew up in my face.

It started with Tyler claiming he couldn't do homework because he couldn't find a pencil that would sharpen.... so I sharpened one and sent him on his way. Nate claimed to do his homework but instead filled up his water gun and proceeded to absolutely drench Ryder making it look like he pee'd his pants. Tyler then broke his pencil again so I sharpen again but while that was happening Nate was drenching Tyler with water from the water gun.

By this point I thought I had things calmed down to finish dinner when got a call from one of my clients, Nate started drenching the house with water, Ryder somehow got a hold of the kitchen shears I used to cut open the meat with and Tyler was complaining his pencil broke again. We finally got sat down and started eating (amazing how food temporarily calms boys....). I let them know that cleaning was happening after we eat which of course made Tyler argue about why we shouldn't clean. Nate and Ryder get done and clear their spots but when I get up Ryder was eating more spaghetti straight from the pot with the mixing spoon and Nate was holding the pot down encouraging him (which was kind of funny actually but still).

I left the room for about 2 seconds and when I came back in Tyler's entire bowl of spaghetti was on the hallway floor and he was crying, Ryder was crying and Nate was sulking away in his room. No one would fess up to what happened of course. So I finished starting the laundry I had attempted to start previously and when I walked back to the kitchen there was now spaghetti not only in the hallway but on the floor, counters, sink, and cabinets. It looked like someone blew up a spaghetti bomb in the kitchen.

I start cleaning that up and ask them to help, which of course started the blame game and since Casper the ghost apparently blew up the spaghetti bomb in the kitchen, none of them should help clean it up. Oh and they couldn't clean up their rooms either because it would take FOREVER. And they couldn't help pick up their things in the living room either. Or the bathroom. Or the hallway. Or my bedroom. Or anywhere else for that matter. But apparently it was very okay to wrestle around until Tyler screamed and stomped away pouting and Nate got kicked in the nose. They all got sent to their rooms to clean but of course that didn't happen and instead more fighting ensued.

By this point my nerves are absolutely shot. 100% shot. Have your nerves ever been absolutely shot to the point of no return? Yeah I was there. I pretty much told them I quit. This momma was on strike. If they didn't want to listen to me and work together, then I quit. They were in charge of their own bedtimes/laundry/food/every other household chore that I could think of at that very minute. And if they wanted to be in my good graces again they should probably clean their rooms without fighting and without me asking again. And....that didn't even phase them for the first little bit until they realized I just might actually be serious when I sent them to bed early without doing our normal routine.

Well....I have calmed down and the guilt has set in. I feel horrible for not reading stories, brushing teeth, tucking into bed and the rest of our normal bedtime routine. I feel horrible for telling them they had to do their own cooking/laundry/etc. I have given them all kisses and told them I loved them, even though they are sleeping....but it doesn't help me to not feel like a complete epic fail as a parent. I'm not going to let them off the hook on cleaning their rooms, I just really wish I could figure out how to teach them the importance of listening and doing chores when I ask, not just when they feel like it. Sigh. Parenting really sucks sometimes. I hope I don't screw them up for life. I should probably start saving for Psychiatrist bills now though, I'm sure. Praying for a better day tomorrow.

6 comments:

  1. That is NOT an epic parenting fail so stop that right now. No offense but that is an epic childrening fail. They weren't in the right one single moment and are lucky the worse they had to deal with was mom retiring for the night. Let go of that guilt, it's unnecessary. They behaved very badly and that's it. Bad behavior gets punished. You're ok Mom, you're totally ok.

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    1. Thank you for the reassurance! I don't feel guilty about it anymore....mostly because I think it made them wake up a little to the fact they were being downright heathens. All three woke up early the next morning to apologize for their wrong choices and they have been behaving better since. Maybe I need to retire more often! :)

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  2. I think you handle it better than I would have.

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    1. Haha I don't know, I was cussing them out pretty good. You'll have to ask them next time you see them if I scarred them for life. :)

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  3. Oh hon, we have all been there. Kids will have you ready to commit a crime one minute and happy and proud in the blink of an eye. Don't sweat it. You feel much worse about the whole thing than they do.

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    1. Thank you for the kind words! And it's so very true....I love those boys more than life and even though they are a bit rambunctious, they are pretty well behaved all in all. But it's sure hard to remember that when they are having a bad day all at the same time. Phew!

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