Why is it that children seem unable to understand what is meant by the term "quickly" when asked to...
a. Get in the car?
b. Clean their room/toys/anything?
c. Put on clothes/pajamas?
When they are playing my girls love to run. They race down the hall, across the park, and down the sidewalk. What they are doing at the moment is never as good as what might be happening down the street. But when they need to do any of the above-mentioned tasks all of a sudden they want to look at the clouds, watch the butterflies or just escape into some zone of childhood that is much more fun than doing what I asked. If it isn't enjoyment that is causing the escape it is a sudden, temporary, and unexplainable bodily breakdown. Everything from legs being too tired, to stomachs not working, these mysterious maladies come and go so quickly, doing no permanent damage except to my nerves.
The other day I had had it. We were late and I had asked, and asked, and asked and asked for things to be picked up so we could leave and come home to the house being half-way not messy. So I devolved to raising my voice.
Abbie turned to me and said, "Mom, you could say your pleases, I just don't think you want to."
I can't win. I can never win.
3 comments:
I am so glad it isn't just my kids.
My daily life exactly. In fact, the exact thing is occurring as I type. Except it sounds like I "devolve" to raising my voice much more quickly/frequently than you do.
It's good that you learn this now. It will save all three of you a lot of agony in the future. You may win some battles, but you will never, ever win the war.
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