I used to consider myself a patient person. But that was before I had children. The more children I had, the lower my patience threshold got.
On weekdays, T has to read 20 minutes a day. Because I know my son well, we do this before he goes to kindergarten. He's way too cranky and tired after school to even attempt it. So, every day while we eat lunch, we read. It's something that we both really enjoy... except for when one or both of the twins yell. Which, unfortunately, is often.
I try to get them everything they could possibly need before I sit down to read. But it never seems to matter. Within a few minutes, A2 is yelling about more this or more that. And N is yelling about how she dropped her carrot on the floor and why haven't I picked it up. And no matter how many times I say, "Just a minute, Mom's reading with T," the yelling just never stops.
I know that they're small people, who don't necessarily understand the meaning of the word patience. But I feel so badly for T, who just wants to eat his lunch and read with Mom in some semblance of peace and quiet. The twins yell, and then I get upset, and then poor T just gets sad cause he can't hear himself think.
I think the twins and I need to all take a seminar in patience.
Friday, January 21, 2011
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4 comments:
Not that it always works or anything, but we have a similar problem. So when they yell at me for something, I try to always say, "How do you ask mom for ____?" I'm trying really hard not to react to the yelling, just to get them to stop, but to teach them that they don't get what they want unless they use words and ask sort of nicely. Granted, I don't have a child I'm trying to read with at the same time, so I'm not sure it would work in your situation. But it does help me maintain some level of sanity.
I know, quite often I think what a good mom I would be if I had stopped at only one child. And that that child might have been happier had I stopped too. But then I realize there are lots of things I trade off that are better.
And then on the flip side I feel kind of bad now that I hear the twins always telling me, "Just a minute, Mom." Guess you can tell what they hear the most around our house.
Hmmm. It sounds like the twins know that this is the time that you pay special attention to T and not them. Any way to make it a special time for them too???Maybe try acting really excited to have them come and sit and read with you too. They probably won't but it might "fake them out" into thinking that you want them around during this time and maybe then they won't act out so much. Just a thought :)
I was thinking that if there was a show they both like that you could put on and they are in their seats with a snack watching the show that maybe that might tied them over for twenty minutes. But I have the same problem while reading with H. Things have gotten a lot better with his reading but I still feel like perhaps half the problem is that he never really gets my full attention for reading since when he comes home from school it's also the worst time of the day....hope it gets better!!
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