Some days aren't so pretty.

[gfrancie]

Senor Onion did this best today to make me want to sell him to the gypsies. He behaved so horribly at the library that I had to drag him out by his arm while he shrieked and made me look like I was the most horrible Mother in the world. (I certainly felt like a shitty shitty mother.) I was so angry and I think he understood that I was that angry because when we came home I looked at him and said, "Go upstairs to your room." and he went right there. I told him he won't be able to go to the library next week because of how he behaved. He is heart-broken but when you throw things (especially at your sister!) and you scream like that -you don't deserve to go to the library.
After some time in his room, we had a chat and a hug and all was okay again.
It is stuff like that that just makes me HATE the job of parenting. He acts like a terror, I look like an incompetent parent in public and I have to break out the Mean Mummy act. I was filled with such shame and guilt on the drive home because he should know better than to act like that and it makes me doubt a lot of things I do as a parent.

So it is obvious his birthday is coming up soon. It isn't a birthday unless a child turns up the crazy-sauce and makes you think about setting him on the curb with a sign that says, "free!"

I want someone to make me hot chocolate and let me nap.

...

I made a really lovely lemon meringue pie today. I hope it will taste good tomorrow. I definitely enjoyed making it. Making a pie is soothing work.

Comments

[meganbnl.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that if there was anyone in the library who thought you were Ghengis Mom, it was people who have no experience with children. You did the right thing, i.e. getting him out of there.
We all hate discipline from time to time, but the knowledge that it will (hopefully) make the kid a better person mustn't be lost.
If I didn't live on the other side of the continent, I'd be right over to babysit. :)

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

It was the librarian looking at me like I was so awful that made me want to throw a book in her general direction.

[cutebutpsycho99.livejournal.com]

There's always a librarian that looks like that. Whatever. You did the right thing. I mean, if you left him like that, she would've been looking at you the same way.

Fuck the haters.

[solar-diablo.livejournal.com]

You didn't beat him, but you didn't coddle him either. You removed him from the scene, which is something I WISH most parents would do when their kid throws a tantrum.

Sounds like a win in my book.

[cutebutpsycho99.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It wasn't great, but you handled it the way it should be.

I could give you parenting advice, but you've heard it before. All I'll say is that you're doing all right and we've all had to do stuff that we're not happy about.

Besides, I figure a bath, book and possibly a glass of wine are in order for you before the Thanksgiving stampede.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yeah.
I am glad books were checked out before we left. So there is that upside.
What kills is that the place freaking echos, so his screams were heard for awhile.

[jess-faraday.livejournal.com]

Argh. Sibling rivalry is so awesome!
Hope Thanksgiving brings both hot chocolate and a nap.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

It wasn't sibling rivalry. He was having a tantrum and throwing things and she was caught in the crossfire because I had her in the sling. He was aiming for me.

[needlediva.livejournal.com]

you are now a member of the great pantheon of parents who have hauled their kids, screaming, out of some normally civilized place (but doing so doesnt mark you as incompetent--on the contrary, you are now to be regarded as reacting responsibly).

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Lucky me!!!!
It was just so...uncoordinated. I had Miss Biscuit in the sling, I have a basket full of books (which were thankfully checked out) and there I was dragging him out by his arms...
Yeah.

[jillbutt.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if this makes things better..holding onto him is beneficial for tax purposes. This what I tell myself about my TEEN.

[keirf.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that I tell Lumi to give her toys to Valo, but I never tell Valo to give his toys to Lumi.

It's tough being the eldest.

[juliamac.livejournal.com]

I think that kids do just absolutely fall apart around their birthdays. At least, since H's birthday is in two weeks, IS WHAT I AM HOPING.

We've already documented his assholeness of yesterday. It was bad.

I have picked him up and carried him out of so many places - coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants, and then of course my own store.

I had to pull the car over three times yesterday because he'd unbuckled his carseat.

That I didn't start smoking again yesterday - well, I think I deserve a gold star.

[cjhm.livejournal.com]

Oh - binderdundate. I remember daniger having a tantrum in Safeway one time - brings back memories :-)

So here's the thing - when I see a situation like yours, I usually just smile and remember my own little terrors. The only ones thinking "wow - why can't that mother control her kids" are the people who have never had kids. So keep this in mind: one day he'll come home really really drunk and the next morning you get the joy of getting him up really early and making LOTS of noise - and then it is all good again :-)

(and now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take one of *my* terrors to Las Vegas to have a few drinks and some gambling together - Happy Thanksgiving, I'll wave when I fly over)

[emmabovary.livejournal.com]

What everybody else has said here. I'm so glad you didn't sit there and try to EXPLAIN everything to him, all while he was acting out. You did perfectly, my dear.

It does make one feel like Joan Crawford, however.

[needlediva.livejournal.com]

oh gawd, yes, the mothers who try to REASON with the three-year-old having a nervous breakdown!! "now, honey, you had YOUR turn at the toy store, and now it's MOMMY's turn at the yarn store, and so you must allow mommy her time because that's only fair...."
yeah, right.

[cusackam.livejournal.com]

Welcome to 3!!!!!!!!!! You can join the worlds worst mother club with me :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ms-pooka.livejournal.com]

i'm glad to hear of this behavior of senor onion's. not because i want you to suffer, but because i'm glad to know i'm not the only one suffering.

kids!

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Hee.
Yeah, he certainly has his days. I love my kid to bits but he sure has a way of humbling me.