Best and Worst Parenting Week 2!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2004
Best and Worst Parenting Week 2!
2
Tue, 09-12-2006 - 7:49pm

Hi guys. We had some good responses from our first try at this last week so I thought we could try it again for those of you who liked it:) If you werent around last week here is the basic idea:
Single parenting is of course difficult and sometimes you just need to share things at the end of the day but....you are single!! It is a good thing to share what you did right as well as the thing that is eating at you that maybe just maybe:) you could have done better....we all need to know we are human and we also need the warmth we get from sharing good stories about how the kids are doing. My Dad started this thing with me years ago where I could call him for best and worst right after my divorce. He has a degree in Child Development and so he was able to both celebrate the victories and put some of the disappointments in perspective so I could wake up on the right side of the bed the next morning. i look forward to this chat with him every night.
One new thing for this week. Not that we ran into this but just to be clear. For anyone who just wants to purge a disappointing thing but doesnt want to receive feedback I think we should just agree to state it upfront. So just put that at the end if this is the case. Just write : " No advice needed on this one...just venting" or something similar. Sometimes we just need to write things out but we dont need to disect it and I think that is healthy. But if you do want some feedback - ask for it. Maybe one of can help!
Here are mine for last week:
Best - This morning we had an asthma attack. we havent had one in months and he woke up wheezing. He is eight but i still managed to carry him to the bathroom and even though we have moved since the last time we used inhalers, my brain kicked in and I found them. He was quickly fine and we have had a good day off of school together.
Worst - He went off in front of people about how much money he has and how rich he is ( referring to bday money and coins in a can:)!!) and I was hard on him afterwards because I didnt like how he looked when he talked like that. I dont want people thinking that all he cares about is the almight dollar. I think I overreacted also because my ex was like this and his family is all about material things. My family and I are not like this and every Christmas is a battleground because of it. I get so worked up thinking that he is going to end up thinking that life is all about things and I know I came down too hard on him and spoke about it for too long. OOPS.

there - I feel better!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-13-2005
Wed, 09-13-2006 - 2:20pm

You are great to post again!!

Okay - here is our story:

BEST - this morning DS got up with his alarm all by himself and I heard the mad scurry of he and the 2 puppies into my room and pounce - all three in the bed with me!! We all snuggled and then he got ready for school.

WORST - the homework!! DS will do a great job once he resigns himself to doing it - but lately he has been procrastinating and playing with the puppies. I went into his room yesterday and he was dressed up like the swat team with his nerf target gun - shooting the rubber discs to the target. The puppies were happily retrieving the missed ones that hit the floor. And the homework sat undone. He wanted to do all but one math page which he agreed to do on the way to dinner. I said okay - and he did it. Even made the lunch. But we went to dinner and back and he listened to his iPod. Although he did finish at home. It all got done but that is just so annoying - why can't he crack his whip and get it done right off the bat without so much prompting from ME!!?? LOL!!

So today we will try again. He is not coming out of his room until it is all done.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-08-2006
Wed, 09-13-2006 - 8:57pm
My kids started school last week, and the best for me was when I took the Princess to kindergarten, she turned to me and smiled and said "bye Mommy. Have a good day" Not that I was in a hurry (well not too much ;-) ) to get rid of her, but I love that she's independent and confident and fearless. I think it's definitely just a part of her nature, but I also like to think that some of that she's learned from me and watching my reactions to things. Today was another good one- I almost died trying to hold the laugh in when she informed me that she has a boyfriend.
Worst was definitely last night, when I snapped at the kids in the car to stop touching each other. I was running later than normal, wasn't feeling well, and was just tired. I took it out on them when I should have dealt with their bickering the way I always do: turn up the radio and start dancing while driving to A) get their minds on me instead of each other, and B) to drown out the sound of "you started it" "no, you did", repeated for 40 miles. Instead I snapped, they were silent all the rest of the way home, and I felt badly (but the silence was nice- too bad there's no way to acheive that without being "mean mommy".

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