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| Not a happy bunny |
Being a mother is hard work. Hard, hard, hard, hard work.
As I type this my daughters are bickering for the millionth time today - *yawn* and I've just about had enough of the squealing, shouting, moaning and crying. My son has had the odd whinge and crying fit too but that was easily solved with a bottle of milk and some food. Boys are so different.
My three year old on the other hand is such a little madam. She is by far the cheekiest and most challenging of my children. (I think it's a second child thing because my mum seems to have or has the same issue with my little sister - sorry sis.)
My angelic faced daughter can be a complete nightmare sometimes and her behaviour pushes me to the edge of my parenting ability. Lately the terrible two's seem to have transformed into the equally if not worse tedious three's. The number of meltdowns this child has had in the two weeks she has been three is a joke. Albeit an unfunny one.
Most of the time she is completely sweet and funny and does as she is told and other times she will look me square in the eye with all the confidence and will in the world and point blank refuse to do as she has been asked.
When she was younger I believed it was her age that was responsible for my inability to reason with her, now I know that not to be the case and have come to realise that she is simply a headstrong, defiant and intelligent child. She can see through anything.
If her dad and I threaten to take something away or stop her from doing something if she doesn't do A, B or C, she knows it is a threat and I have often overheard her say to her big sister 'Mummy/Daddy didn't take away such and such or stop us from doing such and such last time, so we can do that if we want' Can you believe it? Three?
Deep down I am rather impressed that my three year old daughter has the tenacity to see through things and challenge them, but as it's her dad and I on the receiving end we need to manage it or she'll be running rings around us in no time.
Since she can quite clearly identify if a threat is empty or not, we have had to be extra vigilant and make sure that we follow through on everything we say. It's tough because you don't want to deny your children, but if their behaviour is not up to scratch and they refuse to listen then it's the only language that is understood in our household these days.
It's draining, frustrating, repetitive and boring, but I guess that's the beauty of parenting. I'm trying hard to keep my cool but it's not easy. All the bribing, disciplining, shouting and pleading is incredibly trying but hey this too shall pass.
I hope.
