Make It a Short Vlog

We've had a rough night here.   I let the children put off all their chores until the end of the day on Sunday at which time they were suddenly tired and couldn't do it.   We were awful, slave drivers.   Other words were said.   This came on the heels of my son being sent to his room at three o'clock for the remainder of the day for physically harming his sister in retaliation for her kicking him...because he sat on her. 

Things got worse and my magical necklace of non-yelling was powerless to stop me from letting them know just exactly how good they had it.   Their complaints all neatly countered and shot down.   Their feeling of injustice at asking to do <gasp> work, was not sympathized with.   And their growing complaints and statements of, "you can't make me do it" only worked to their disadvantage with more work added to their list as a consequence. 

This is draining as a parent.   You have to fight with your children because you know you can't let them win.   They have to be made to understand there are responsibilities in life and things are not just free.  I don't like it, but sometimes I have to take the hard-line with them.   I wish they'd learn, but I learn most times they don't learn, even from experience, unless it's a particularly memorable experience. 

I hope tonight was memorable.  My daughter is asleep, her father helped her through her rounds while I worked with my son and had a meaningful heart-to-heart with him.  Next time, they will hopefully work without complaint.   Because as long as they live here, they won't win. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son, in the throes of crying tonight, said he was going to try very, very hard to petition to always remain a child.   I asked him with tears in my eyes if he could take me with him.   He reached out his hand from under the blanket where he was hiding to hold mine, and said he would.   I was still with my son a bit later and told him I'd come up to make sure he finished his laundry and that I needed to go downstairs and write my blog (he was dawdling in a severe way and trying to engage me to play with him, knowing it was past bedtime.)  He told me, "Mom, you go write your vlog, but make it a short vlog and come back quickly."   I told him I only had a blog, that I would pass on a vlog and all the video it would entail.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  I've gotten my daughter all kinds of zip ties and reusable plastic connectors.   She is so bored.   She was interested in zip ties when I showed them to her last week with some enthusiasm.  They're inexpensive and fun to connect together.   Maybe it will be her next obsession.  We try so hard to keep her entertained.