Thursday, January 17, 2013

Calming The Mother-Pluck Down!

I've officially come to the end of my tether people. I mentioned in Mondays post that Flynns behaviour has been steadily driving me nuts lately and I was dreading spending a full week at home with him. We actually didn't start out too badly but after an afternoon of screaming from Tully ( damn you teething during a heatwave! ) I kind of lost my shit at him when he lost his shit at me. Over having his hair washed, mind you, of all bloody things. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I have well and truly hit the wall.

In fact, I am so bamboozled that I have sat down and read my first ever 'parenting book'. Sat for the last 45 minutes and tore through it, cover to cover.




Its called ' Be Calm ' by Michelle Kennedy, and I picked it up from my aunty when she let my sister and I take the pick of her stuff before she moved to Townsville ( a pre-garage sale rummage, if you will. I got a heap of great books for the kids too ). Its not a weighty tome, but rather an easy to read ' how bout you try this? ' type of instructional. It actually reads a bit like a conversation with a friend, or a mothers group, which I liked about it. It made me feel better to see that I actually already practice a lot of the strategies in the book, and I'm kind of looking forward to tomorrow to see if the opportunity arises to try some more.

A mother, looking forward to a tantrum? Sounds mental doesn't it? But even if its just for tomorrow, I'm going to look at Flynns epic nana-chucking as a chance to practice being a better Mum.
That's after my 'me-time' first thing in the morning though. Even if that 'me-time' only involves doing the grocery shopping without any children. It may not be everybodys idea of ' me-time' but when you're a busy mum, you'll take what you can get!

3 comments:

  1. I think I'm going to have to pick up my first ever parenting book too. I'm in pretty much the same situation with Izzy and it's driving me mad, with the final straw today being when I found her peeling off the stickers on her bedroom wall because she didn't want it pretty! Gah! It's good to know that I'm not alone thought.

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  2. I'm with you, I'm happy to do the groceries in peace. I won't lie to you it's a damn tough age but a good time to set your boundaries and whatever disciplinary method you are thinking you will use. So many people will tell you the terrible twos got nothing on a three year old and I agree wholeheartedly.
    Some parenting books I have found to be really helpful are Raising boys by Steve Bidolph (the best I have read re boys) Children are People too by Louise Porter and of course the wonderful and ever so practical Maggie Dent. Take what you need and leave behind what you don't even the so called experts don't suit every child.

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  3. Any time without a child is me-time to me! I think I am gonna have to borrow that book, Mia has been driving me up the wall today!

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