We *all* need an attitude adjustment

Most of the time I do a pretty good job keeping it cool. I try to keep myself in check, be patient and calm with my girls. But sometimes I just don’t get it right. Here lately we’ve just had some growing pains at the ol’ DeHart house. Case in point…

Babybee – she’s almost three, but milking the the terrible 2′s for all their worth. She’s going through something and I have my theories, but somedays I’m left scratching my head and wondering what the hell is going on. You know how sometimes you’re at a restaurant (or at a store) and you see *that* family where the kids whine and scream and make demands and the parents give in and they’re just royal brats? Well, that’s how she’s acting lately. Just very demanding, screaming, yelling, hitting and being super bratty, but here’s the thing, we don’t give in to her demands so I’m just at a loss sometimes for where it comes from because that kind of behavior doesn’t work at our house.

Busybee- most of the time she is the happiest kid you’ll ever meet. Seriously, people ask us all the time if she’s always that happy, she just loves life. But every now and then (usually when she’s overly tired) she can throw some fits that would rival her sister and frankly make your ears bleed. Again screaming at us, making demands, saying no, kicking, banging, you name it. It’s quite a sight to behold.

Now my kids are normally very well-behaved. People comment on them at restaurants all the time. I’m a stickler for behavior and they know the rules and usually happily obey them. But well, see above. So we’ve had a few days where they’ve both been at their worst (for lack of a better way to say that) and well, I try to keep it together, I try to be unflappable and calm and sometimes I manage it. But sometimes I yell back and I hate that. I’m a grown up, I can control myself, and I don’t like to yell at my kids (unless they’re in immediate physical danger). Instead I try to acknowledge their feelings, “yes, I understand that you don’t want to pick up your toys, but unfortunately you have to if you want to play with something else…”

So there you have it…I’m not really asking for advice, though if you have some, I’ll always take it. Just mostly venting about my frustrations.

And here’s hoping that while I’m gone this week at RWA National that the two girls don’t have any major meltdowns for their visiting grandparents. I’m not sure my poor in-laws are prepared for that kind of drama.