Sometimes I think one of the purposes of parents is to create a common enemy among the children, thus giving them something to bond over. Lately Tyler has taken to calling me a "mean mom" which he learned from Alexis and which really gets to me more than I should let it. He's only two, he doesn't even really know what he's saying, but I try so hard to not be a mean mom. Well, maybe not that hard because my response is usually, "You want to see a mean mom? I'll show you a mean mom!" Then I drag them to a fabric store for 2 hours to really show them.
This afternoon I broke out the dry erase markers for the easel, which up to this point my kids didn't even know existed. I did it to break up a fight over something else, and also because I'm a little bit stupid.
They started out fine because they each had their own marker, but we ran into trouble when Alexis decided to start erasing things. Within minutes they were squabbling over the eraser, pulling it out of each others hands, while accidentally (I hope) marking up the other's face. I shouted from the kitchen to share!, take turns!, watch where you put those markers!!!, don't take it from each other!, stop screaming!!, and on and on and on. Finally I just took the eraser away saying that if they couldn't learn to work it out and share no one got an eraser. I returned to my dirty dishes and heard them in the corner whispering, "she's such a mean mom", "yeah, she's really mean". And I became their common enemy, strengthening their union just a little bit more.
Once the eraser was taken away the markers weren't as fun, so I demanded they be brought to me with the lids. Alexis (who is full of attitude but not too mischievous) brought me the marker without a complaint, and surprisingly enough Tyler followed suit. But just before he got to me, hands covered in dirty dishwater and all, he took a few good swipes at the wall with the pen.
And do you know how that battle ended? With Tyler scrubbing the wall until his little arms hurt (and longer), while his ally quietly slipped away to wash her hands.
5 comments:
I am sure that day is very close at hand for me. You see, Jake already tells me that I am mean about 10 times a day. It's only a matter of time before Carson realizes this too...and joins in on the 'hate for mom' campaign.
I love cleaning or having Josh clean the walls. I can't tell you how many times he has ended up with a marker and everything is covered with it. AAAH!
Well, I guess that is what I have to look forward too once Kylee is a little older, I guess I better brace myself. Good Luck.
the "meany" in me wants me to make this comment: "have you ever noticed that kids, even really young kids, are a good judge of character," but i can't be that mean...even though it runs in my family.
All weekend I was told how "mean" I was. Apparantly, asking your child to get dressed or to wash his face dubs you as a mean person. They just wont understand til they have their own kids and then... TADA! they get it.
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