I was telling my friend yesterday what a hard time I am having as of late. I have hit my match with child #7. My attention is always on her thus resulting in many other .... busy things should I say. Little ones marking on walls all over the house and not cleaning up after themselves, playing in a sink full of water and not cleaning up after themselves, making their own food and not cleaning up after themselves, making projects and not cleaning up after themselves, playing with puzzles and not cleaning up after themselves, scrounging through the whole house to find a lost item and not cleaning up after themselves, making their lunches for the next school day and not cleaning up after themselves, you get the picture. My life is one big mess right now and I just don't know what to do to get it under control. Anyone out there in my same boat?
I , for the life of me, can't remember what Emma did but she was sent to sit in a place that she could think about what she did wrong and I guess she got tired of thinking and went to sleep.
I was telling my friend yesterday what a hard time I am having as of late. I have hit my match with child #7. My attention is always on her thus resulting in many other .... busy things should I say. Little ones marking on walls all over the house and not cleaning up after themselves, playing in a sink full of water and not cleaning up after themselves, making their own food and not cleaning up after themselves, making projects and not cleaning up after themselves, playing with puzzles and not cleaning up after themselves, scrounging through the whole house to find a lost item and not cleaning up after themselves, making their lunches for the next school day and not cleaning up after themselves, you get the picture. My life is one big mess right now and I just don't know what to do to get it under control. Anyone out there in my same boat?
I , for the life of me, can't remember what Emma did but she was sent to sit in a place that she could think about what she did wrong and I guess she got tired of thinking and went to sleep.
9 comments:
Dana, I definately don't know how you feel, but I can only think one thing. You need to give yourself a big pat on the back just for being able to live under such circumstances! Reid and I have decided that I am very OCD - which means I could never handle all the things you have on your plate! You are incredibly laid-back and patient - which is an amazing gift in itself, so don't be so down on yourself. (Trust me, if you want issues, just call me... you'll feel better in no time! LOL!!!) I guess it is time for a FHE on responsibility/helping out?? That is the only thing I can think of to help. Oh, and I would put all the toys/project stuff left out in a big garbage bag and put it in my closet. Yup, the toys would be grounded - and can't come out to play until they are better taken care of. (Ok, I'm a little iffy on the details, but I think you get my drift...)
i SOOOOOOOOOOOOO feel your pain. My house is a constant wreak! I wish it were different but it's not. I know how it wears on you. I wish I had the magic answer but I just don't. It won't get better for a while. We just need our mini vacation together so we can just relase.
Ohhh yeah. I think having a baby between 0 and 9 months makes for disaster. It does seem like I'm a tenny tiny bit more in control since my little one turned 10 months--he needs me a little bit less. I'm saying that loosely, but in comparison, it's an improvement. Baby steps to sanity, right?
Dana,
I agree with Leighanna. I have GREAT results with responsibility/behavior charts. For me, the charts turn a struggle into such a positive and rewarding situation. It really helps with teaching them to make good choices and letting them know that every choice they make will have a consequence. And they CHOOSE if that consequence will be a rewarding one or a negative one. Have fun with it and let them even help decorate their own chart and personalize it with what they need improvement on and together come up with a fun and motivating reward...that usually gets them excited especially when they get to help in making decisions.
~Just a thought...you may already do this. I just know it always helps mine~
Good Luck!
Well, at least they do stuff on their own like make lunches and projects. Mine just screams "Mommy! I need...I need...I need... Will you play with me? Will you play with me?" all day. It's entirely my OCD first-time mom fault. Just trying to give you a bright side.
Dana, I feel your pain. When you figure it out, let me know your secret. Seriously.
I love Marie Ricks...maybe you will find something on her site:
www.HouseOfOrder.com
Hang in there...when all else fails, pray!
Oh, that's a tough one. I guess all I can suggest is to when you clean up, put it AWAY and when they ask for it, make them think it is gone. Of course, with the things that can disappear for a while. You'd be surprised how your house stays clean and what you can live without! Good luck!
You pick up, they mess up. Well I have started making my kids clean up their own messes and turning off the TV or whatever it is they want to do, ride bikes, etc. If their chores aren't done then they don't do anything. Also, they have to learn to work together, which mean a lot of screaming but it eventually gets done. I do my chores and leave their area of the house for them. I tell them that we are not pigs and won't live like that and so they need to get busy. It is painful but I have stood my ground and they are getting the hang of it, SLOWLY. We are learning to work together, FHE idea!
I feel like that, and I only have 2! What would my life be like with 7? You're doing great! Yes, pat yourself on the back!
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