My Own Mean Mommy

Yes, I had a mean mommy. Sometimes she was mean, as in not nice. I think that, sometimes, she didn't know how to raise a kid. For example, she would encourage me to "be myself"--to do what I enjoyed and not let anyone tell me that I couldn't. By "anyone", she must have meant only my peers, because if I did something she didn't like, she wouldn't hesitate to tell me I couldn't do it.

For example: when I was little, 5 years old or so, I had a toy drum. I banged on it, a lot. Now, my mom and dad were probably the ones who bought it for me, or, if it came from someone else, they allowed me to have it. One day, I was playing a big drum solo, and my mom decided she didn't want to hear it. She may have given me a warning or three, but, I was a little kid with a drum. I didn't want to stop. So, she stepped on--and in and through--my drum. It was ruined. There was no taking it away, no making it an outside toy, nothing. Just elimination of what she considered the problem. Certainly, her solution was drastic, and not well thought out, because the destruction of my toy caused a huge temper tantrum, which must have really sucked for her (sorry, mom, you are not getting any sympathy from me).

There are a lot more incidents that I remember vividly, and which influence my own parenting decisions.  I have high expectations for my kiddo, but I realize that my job is to help her meet them, as well as the expectations of society as a whole. The key word is help, as in guide, facilitate, assist...not trample, destroy, and talk out of both sides of my mouth.

Perhaps I went through a bitter period when I was angry at my mom for not being kind and sympathetic when I needed her to be*, but remember my post about "The Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe"? Seriously, that was my grandmother. My mother learned by example, and didn't really know how to relate to a little kid. She might have benefited from parenting books, mommy groups, etc, but they weren't prevalent back in the day. So, I have chosen to find my own parenting techniques and not model mine after hers.

For the record, my kiddo has a drum, and it is intact. It has been taken away numerous times and even hidden, but she still has it.

*Luv ya, mom!

Think Twice Before Hitting the Toy Store

This is so important to remember!
I have to admit that I get excited about finding just the right gift for my kiddo--the one that she can't put down or stop talking about. Part of that is selfish on my part, because I love seeing her face light up when she opens up a special gift. But you know what? Tonight we watched the Peanuts' Christmas special, and her eyes lit up when I offered to let her watch it on my bed, on my lap, and again and again while watching the antics of the Peanuts gang. Time well spent.

Gift Giving Do's & Don'ts From Another Mean Mommy

More holiday cheer! Actually, this is a pretty good list. There is nothing on here about phthalates or formaldehyde (my biggies), but everything on this list could certainly test a parent's sanity.

Warning: this article contains a lot of swearing. But don't we all have our "Bah, humbug" moments?
http://www.chicagonow.com/baby-sideburns/2012/11/what-not-to-fing-buy-my-kids-this-holiday/

Update

If you read my post, http://meanmommy1.blogspot.com/2012/11/run-in-with-po-po.html, you know about my skepticism regarding what was really just another telemarketing call. Well, today, I got my pledge card in the mail. Surprise, surprise, it came from Richmond.

Now, the charity in question is recognized by the IRS, and the purpose is not only to raise money for fallen officers, but also to make people aware of the dangers of distracted driving. Both of those are very good causes; I am not claiming otherwise. However, I am not impressed with the blatant lie Officer Telemarketer told me in order to get my pledge. He said that this charity was local, but judging by the information he sent to me, that is not the case. It seems like he is betting on what he considered my promise to send in money. Remember, though, I promised no such thing. I promised to look over the information and think about it.

I am torn between tossing the info into the recycling bin and mailing my pledge card back with a note explaining why they will not be getting money from me. Here's what I am thinking of saying:
         "Dear Mr. ____,
          I have just received my pledge card that I was bullied into agreeing to by one of your
          telemarketers officers.  When I explained to him that I prefer to support local charities,
          he assured me that the Police Protective Fund was, indeed, local. Now, technically, that 
         is not true. It may, at times, benefit local families, but the bulk of the money goes to
         Richmond. Since I do not have unlimited resources with which to support every charity
         that solicits money from me, I choose to support those which do not falsely represent
         themselves. Please remove my name from your list and do not call me in the future.
         In other words, CEASE AND DESIST." 

Yes, I realize this is a bit over the top, but telemarketers stink. I resent my time being taken up by this BS. Plus, it will give me a warm feeling to send in my donation--to a local charity of my choosing.

More Deal Breakers

My previous post about deal breakers got me thinking; up until now, I had thought about deal breakers in terms of people outside our family, especially people who might invite the kiddo over to play with their kids. I'm a worrywart, but I think that there are so many things to worry about when it comes to our kids that we should have the right to eliminate some of them from the equation. For example, when sending your child off to play at someone's house, you expect some level of safety and cleanliness, right? Thus, big, gaping holes in the floor, rats, roaches, etc, would be deal breakers.

My big deal breakers:

• Guns in the house. Kids like to show off, and they are careless. Tragedy waiting to happen.
• Smoking in the house. I don't want my kiddo exposed to that crap. And I don't want her to think it is normal.
• Easy access to alcohol and drugs. Duh.
• Lack of supervision. I don't always trust my own kiddo. If I don't even know yours...
• Potentially dangerous pet. Oh, your python doesn't stay in his cage?  Adios.

After thinking about it for a while, I have to add:

• Letting the kids just watch TV. The idea behind a play date is to play.
• Tons of junk food. A treat is fine (OK, not really, but I won't argue too much on that one), but unlimited crap to eat and drink is a no-no. 
• Parents/caretakers who cuss. Keep it clean, please and thank you.
• Mean kids. I'm not sending my kiddo to your house so your kids can be mean to her.

Too much?  Deal with it. Not enough? Give me your ideas.

Love This Article!

Parents, you have to read this article! This little girl is thoughtful, intelligent and articulate--and I bet that she has a Mean Mommy.

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/six-old-schools-hasbro-gender-equality-182500683.html

Toxic Christmas Gifts

Most people have go-to gifts that they give over and over again, often to the same person. For example, I can count on shower gel from my sister-in-law on every birthday. Since I appreciate being clean and smelling good, it is a welcome gift. I, too, have gifts that I fall back on when I don't know what to get, or when my brilliant idea doesn't fill the gift bag and I want to add something else.

For kids, it is tempting to buy them pajamas: Christmas pajamas, fleece pajamas, footie pajamas, pajamas with their favorite characters...I have discovered something rather unsettling, though. A lot of kids' pajamas are flame retardant, meaning they are coated with a chemical that makes clothing "self-extinguish when exposed to flames". Many people think this is a good thing, but I disagree. My reasons are sound: (1) the chemicals have been proven to bind to the skin, and they can never wash off. You think that doesn't sound that horrible? Well, (2) they are considered carcinogenic and can possibly  cause "brain damage, hyperactivity, hormone disruption and damage to the reproductive organs of human children". Yeah, um, merry freakin' Christmas to you, too.

I know it's hard to pass by warm, fuzzy, snuggly, cute jammies, but just imagine them with a Mr. Yuck sticker on them. The "better" alternative is snug-fitting cotton pajamas. I put the word "better" in quotation marks, because cotton is one of the most pesticide-sprayed crops in the country. If you buy them used, it's likely that all residual pesticides have been washed out. However, they will not look as enticing as the brand new ones on the Gymboree rack.

I can't control what other people give to the kiddo for Christmas; however, I can veto a toxic gift and donate it to Goodwill (commencing the "are contaminated pajamas better than no pajamas at all to a child who would be cold otherwise?" argument within my conscience). I'm really hoping it doesn't come to that, because I don't want to be the one to crush the kiddo by not allowing her to keep, say, Hello Kitty jammies. That would be so mean, I wouldn't feel completely OK with it. (I'd still do it, though.)

Check out http://www.naturalnews.com/024797_child_children_toxic.html     for more information. It is a simple article, but it has links if you want to investigate it further.

Run-in With the Po-Po

The other night, I answered the phone to hear a police officer ask for me by name. Since hubby had left to go over to his parents' house to watch football, I automatically assumed that he had been in an accident. I was relieved to find out that that was not the case, then pissed off to find out that the call was to solicit money.

Telemarketers bug me. They really bug me, even when they are working on the behalf of a charity. In fact, if an organization sics telemarketers on me to solicit money, it's very likely that I won't donate any. There are many organizations that are worthy of donations that don't irritate me.

Anyway, the caller assured me that he was a real police officer, and local. However, he didn't confirm his location, so I'm not sure he was calling for a local charity. The charity he described sounded good--raising money for families of officers killed in the line of duty in traffic-related deaths. Except...it was supposed to be for local families. I'm cynical, so I wasn't moved by his plea. I mean, how many can there possibly be? If there were an epidemic of police officers killed in traffic-related accidents in my area, wouldn't there be huge news stories about it?

So, Officer Telemarketer was continuing his spiel, trying to get me to pledge $100.00. I reminded him that there are many other charities asking for money, especially this time of year, and told him that I might consider $10.00 if he sent me some more information to look over. Well, apparently a $10.00 donation isn't worth his time. He said that he would really like to send me a pledge card for a $100.00 pledge. That's when I got mean. I replied that I would really like to send him my kiddo's fundraiser information and that she would really appreciate a donation of $100.00 from him. We agreed that he would send me a pledge card for $15.00 and it would be OK if I only sent in $10.00. How kind of him.

Later, while talking to my mom, I mentioned this phone call to her and she said that I shouldn't send in anything at all, except maybe a note explaining why. LOL. That's mean! I guess I take after my mom!

She Said Whaaat?!

The other night as I was cuddling the kiddo and trying to get her ready to fall asleep, she told me to shut up. I'm not sure where she learned that, since hubby and I don't say that--not to one another, not to the cat, and not to her. "Shut up" is rude, and I don't want her saying it; it is also a deal breaker for me. So, instead of getting angry, I simply got up. I gave the kiddo kisses and told her that I love her, but that I wouldn't snuggle with someone who told me to shut up. She didn't take it well, and kept begging me to come back. After each plea, I replied "I love you, good night", as I walked out of her room. She whimpered for me for about a minute until she fell asleep, which tells me that her behavior most likely stemmed from exhaustion. We discussed it the next day, and I explained to the kiddo that "shut up" isn't acceptable in our house, and why. Then, I reminded her of the consequences and how she didn't like them the previous night. When/if she says it again, she knows I will follow through and get up and leave, no matter how she reacts.

I got to thinking about my list of deal breakers regarding the kiddo's behavior, and there is just one: No ugly behavior (hitting/spitting/insults--"shut up" falls under this category). This is not to say that I don't have deal breakers for other situations--I have a whole list of them regarding places the kiddo is allowed to play, for example. I'm saving that list for another post.

Maybe I don't have a lot of deal breakers because they seem so black or white, all or nothing, and I don't like to think in terms like that. Almost everything has nuances, in which case some exceptions can/should be made. Or is that wimpy parenting? My deal breakers are in place because otherwise, my reactions to those situations would be so extreme (yelling, stomping, etc) that it is better to just shut down, not answer, maybe just, um, shut up.

Better than Barbie or Disney!

Just say "no" to Barbie and Disney princesses!
OK, I'm too realistic to expect that to happen, but there is an alternative.  If you have a kiddo like mine who is entranced by everything Barbie and princesses, she may be hoping for an explosion of pink on Christmas. Now, Barbies and princesses and everything Disney have their place (not in my house, though, at least for as long as I can manage), but check out this page if you want to think outside the box. The designer of this toy has come up with something that is not only fun, but challenges kids--girls, specifically--to use their heads for something other than setting a crown on. Every little girl can be an engineer or any other profession of her choosing and ability, but with stores like Toys R Us, Walmart and Target pushing the pink stuff, she might need a little push from a Mean Mommy in order to think outside the pink. And it's ok, because look at the picture...there is a little pink on the toy. Win-win. Hope I can get one before Christmas!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/16029337/goldieblox-the-engineering-toy-for-girls

Share This Message

I got this from a friend's Facebook page, and I will definitely keep it for when the kiddo is a teenager ( in many, many years!). However, the part near the end, "...develop a backbone and not a wishbone...You are important and you are needed" is a great message that I want to share with her now! Instead of sternly reminding kids of this when they are teenagers, wouldn't it be great if we could instil it in them, starting when they are little...like in Kindergarten? Hmmm...

The Child Whisperer

Have you read this book? Are you familiar with this blog? I am not, but I am intrigued!

http://thechildwhisperer.com/

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

"There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;
She gave them some broth without any bread;
Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed."

She sounds pretty awful, doesn't she? This nursery rhyme has always made me think of my grandmother (who had ten children of her own, plus two stepdaughters, and was super-strict). When I was little, I thought that she was cold and unloving and even a little scary, even if I couldn't adequately express my feelings. Now, though, even though I have "just" one kiddo, I'm beginning to understand. Let's break it down:

Was woman in the nursery rhyme really old? Define old. If she had small children, she was still of childbearing age. Most likely, it was the stress of having so many kids to take care of and not having enough time to take care of herself that caused her to look older. You notice that there is no mention of a husband in the rhyme. Did he leave? Die? Those kids had to come from somewhere.

Did she really live in a shoe? Maybe her house was in the shape of a shoe? She probably had to do renovations herself. If you had to add on to your house without being able to use a professional, what would your house look like?

She had so many children she didn't know what to do--that one speaks for itself! She didn't know how to take care of all of them; she didn't know how to get everything done; she didn't know how to take care of herself.

Broth without any bread, huh? When did she have time to make bread? Or go to the market to buy any? Did she even have enough money to afford bread?

She whipped them all and put them to bed: my guess is that by the end of the day, she couldn't take any more, but the kids were still wound up (probably complaining of hunger). She still had work to do and needed time, space, and quiet to get it done before starting the whole process over the next day. 

One thing I don't get, though: why didn't she put the (older) kids to work?!

This is Not Good

The glow of last week's parent-teacher conference--in which I was told that my kiddo is sweet and kind and gets along with all the kids in her class--is gone. Today, my kiddo got in trouble for being mean to a neighbor's child.

I don't get it; they get along great in school, and she talks about him all the time, but today when she was playing with him and his sister at their house, she decided that she didn't want to play with him anymore. The girl is a few years older than her brother and my kiddo; the kiddo idolizes her, and hence wanted some one-on-one time. The neighbors' girl adores the kiddo, and there is probably some sibling dynamic going on between the brother and sister where they like to play with one another, until they get sick of each other. I think my kiddo picks up on that and feeds off it. In any case, she made the poor boy feel so bad that his daddy escorted her back to our house. This was after both parents asked the kiddo to play nice. Ouch.

This was not clear to me until my neighbor sent me a message explaining what had happened, but I am glad she did. After hubby and I processed the information, we had a discussion with the kiddo. She started to cry, but didn't argue her case; she knew she was in the wrong. She is going to have to apologize to her friend tomorrow--we will make certain that she does. I also think that she will be staying in our yard by herself for the rest of the week. If she can't be nice to all her friends, maybe she should keep her distance for a while.

Most parents claim that they want to know when their child misbehaves, but actually receiving such news is a disappointment. Some parents prefer to only hear about bad behavior, and expect other parents not to discipline their child. I would raise a big stink if someone hit the kiddo, but I think that removing her from the situation is perfectly acceptable (the kiddo was deposited right at our door, and I was right there).

Not to make light of the situation, but this is a fixable problem, and a good learning experience. For me as well as the kiddo.

My New BFF?!

Heading to church in the morning, and there's a good chance that I will run into a man who is very unlikeable, who is trying to be my BFF. I'm used to attracting weirdos; in my previous post I mentioned some stalkers, and both my grandmother and cousin (the one who unfriended me on FB) attracted some unsavory types back in the day. I'm not worried that this "gentleman" wants to marry me, but I'm not certain why he wants to be my friend so badly.

You may wonder why I am opposed to forming a friendship with a 60-something man; let me tell you, age has nothing to do with it. The fact that he heckles speakers in church, has sexually harassed people, and said cruel, antagonistic things about a person I very much like and admire has everything to do with it. From what I've seen of him, he's just not nice. The kiddo and a buddy both had a strong reaction when this man tried to relate to them in a jovial, avuncular way: they hissed and snarled at him. I'm not joking.

As unpleasant as he can be, he does have a nice wife and I know that he has children; clearly, someone is able to overlook his faults and see his good qualities. And I'm sure he must have some, because everybody has some. My question is, is it mean of me to rebuff his friendship overtures based on his previous behavior? Should I make the kiddo be polite to him? I have put a stop to the snarling, so that is a start...

Comin' Clean

No, this post is not about bath time. That was full of drama tonight, according to hubby. I was in the kitchen ;)  This post is about me being honest: a handful of you know who I am, and others of you have guessed. My name is Georgianne, and when I'm not writing my posts, I am a full-time wife, mommy, and cat-caretaker, and a part-time (adjunct) Spanish instructor. I have been trying not to let the cat out of the bag (figuratively, not literally) and not reveal my real identity, because I'm afraid of people bugging me. Bugging, stalking, it's all the same...been there, done that. But my previous experiences of being stalked were before I had the kiddo (sorry, if you don't know her name, you're not finding it out here. Still gotta be a little careful). Now, if anybody messes with me, they mess with a mama bear.

Some of my previous posts have been about other inspiring mean mommies (and daddies); I'm always excited to hear about another parent who's not afraid to put their foot down and make unpopular decisions in the name of good parenting. In fact, I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences.  Feel free to share!

I have changed the settings on this blog so that anyone can comment. If you abuse that privilege, I will take it away...and say something really mean about you. Or to you.

Facebook Drama

Wow. My cousin unfriended me on Facebook. What the heck? We were on opposite sides during the election, but we were able to have discussions about things she posted on her wall. We usually ended up in a stalemate, but there was never any real animosity, at least on my part. I provoked her a bit, but I was trying to get her to open her mind and try to look at things from a different perspective. Or at least admit that there is a different perspective. After the election results, I saw a lot of disparaging remarks and drama on Facebook (not just from her), so I appealed to all of my FB friends to stop the whining and badmouthing and move on--and it was met with a tirade from my cousin and the aforementioned unfriending.

Cuz is a one-issue voter, and thinks that anyone who does not share her views is evil, as in really evil, in league with the devil, etc. That doesn't make any sense to me, but I know that I can't change her mind. Her opinions are based on a good heart and strong beliefs. In her tirade, she clearly expressed a lot of bitterness and hopelessness, and lumped me with the people who contribute to her unhappiness.

I am stunned. I can't even send her a message, which might be a good thing, since I am hurt, not to mention furious with her. No telling what I might say. Was I mean to try to engage her at all? Is she just crazy and ready to pop at any moment? I really never thought so, but her reaction was extreme. I am sitting here trying to decide if I need to try to contact her at all in the future. Not right away, that would only make things worse. That I am sure of. But how can you just give up on family? As I posted before, my kiddo is free to make up her own mind about politics and everything else. I can only teach her to the best of my ability and hope that she chooses wisely. One thing I can tell you, though, no matter what she chooses, I will never, ever give up on her, nor will I ever "unfriend" her.

Today's Tantrum is Brought to You by the Letter 'S', the Number '8', the Hershey Corporation and The Cartoon Network

Today's tantrum is brought to you courtesy of the letter 'S', the number '8', the Hershey Corporation and The Cartoon Network.

On the way home from school, the kiddo informed me that she was going to have candy while she was watching cartoons. I was shocked at her audacity and said "um, no". Cut to the wailing, stomping, flinging herself about until she said in a small voice "I want Mommy".

I held the kiddo and cuddled her while she cried intermittently, then surprised me by saying "I can't write an '8'". Huh? I remembered that she has a bit of trouble writing the letter 'S', and wondered aloud if writing an '8' was like writing an 'S'. She emphatically agreed and started sobbing again, and said that was the real reason she was crying. Again, huh? I asked the kiddo if she wanted to practice writing '8' and 'S', but she wasn't interested. She cried a bit more and I comforted and snuggled her until she fell asleep on my lap. When she woke up, she was almost back to normal.

Hmmm...was the number/letter drama a clever attempt by the kiddo to cover up her ugly behavior? Or was she really upset about her writing skills? I am suspicious, but ready and willing to help her practice her writing.

Politics Aside, Just Be Nice!

OK, people, the election is over. Whether your candidate won or lost, it is time to end the crap. The name calling, the Facebook drama...it's gotta end. Anybody who posts negative comments is setting themselves up for negative, hurtful replies, and that's just--you guessed it--mean. And please be careful of the comments you make in front of impressionable children.

I am doing all I can to teach my kiddo to make good choices; her political opinions may be shaped by hubby and me, but they will ultimately be of her own choosing. However, if I start mudslinging about a politician, I really shouldn't be surprised if she starts name calling on the playground. (That's why, instead of insulting certain politicians, I explain to the kiddo that I don't like their choices. That their choices will end up hurting people [possibly us] rather than helping people.)

Kids are listening to you; BE NICE!

Update

Good news: I have received apologies from both of my misbehaving students! It is nice to know that people can still be shamed into having good manners!

Get Your Paranoia Right Here!

My kiddo is all about playing outside (yay!), and her big thing is "stands":  she wants to have a lemonade stand, jewelry stand, flower stand, and now, a candy stand, featuring her "extra" Halloween candy. It's great that she wants to get rid of some of it, enterprising that she wants to make money off it, and alarming to this mommy that the kiddo gets too close to the road and starts yelling at passing cars to buy her candy.

"Too close to the road" is subjective; other parents don't have a problem with their kids playing in their front yards unless they are almost in the road. One of my concerns is speeding drivers, but I also worry about how she calls out to people as they pass by. I'm afraid that one day, someone will stop, and instead of stopping for candy or whatever, they will stop for my kiddo.

You can call me paranoid, but you hear so many stories of kids who are grabbed right by their houses, on their way to school, etc. that it's unrealistic to think that it couldn't happen here. I try to keep a close eye on the kiddo, but I have work to do inside and I can't watch her every single second, so I need her to stay near the house.  That doesn't go over very well, especially when she wants to talk to one of the neighbors or check out what someone else is doing.

I need to point out that the neighbors I do know are good people and I know that they all keep an eye on my kiddo when she is outside (especially when she is playing with their kids), but I don't know everybody, nor can I control who comes into our neighborhood. So, "better safe than sorry" is my mantra.

As the kiddo gets older, I will get a little less rigid (but probably not less paranoid) and allow her more freedom, because if I don't, she will demand it. Which will be fine, because she will have taken lots of self defense classes. And I can get a Rottweiler.

This is a Warning for the Rest of the Day:

Dear Monday:

So far, you suck. I have been coughed on and yelled at, and my path has been blocked by a certain someone whom I almost fell over. I will be looking for good things to happen for the rest of the day, because if they don't...well, you know how I am!

Sincerely,
Mean Mommy

I Can, But You Can't

How can I explain this...? I am allowed to chase the cat. The kiddo is not.
I'm sure it seems mean and downright confusing that I am allowed to do something that she is not allowed to do, especially when there is no logical explanation for it. The kiddo knows that it is OK if hubby drinks a beer, because that is a grown-up beverage. Just like it's fine that I cook at the stove or use a knife, because my mom taught me, and I have been cooking for a long time now. She understands that True Blood is definitely not a show she can watch, because it could scare her and cause nightmares...the list goes on and on. But about the cat, well...

I have mentioned before that Mr. Kitty is my cat; the kiddo came later. Plus, she is noisy and grabs at him, two things that he dislikes almost as much as he dislikes his carrier and getting shots. But, he is a silly cat and he loves to play. Just today, he hid behind a piece of furniture and jumped out at me! He likes it when I play with him, especially when I chase him. The kiddo sees this, and wants to get in on the action. Unfortunately, Mr. Kitty thinks she is going to pat him too hard or pick him up and let his rear dangle, or hug him too tightly, and he runs away. Then, as soon as the kiddo is occupied, Mr. Kitty is at it again, racing around, ready to be chased.

The kiddo wants to do everything she sees me doing, and it makes her mad that she can't. She really dislikes hearing "Leave the cat alone!". However, the cat must be relieved to hear it.  _^..^_

Restraining Myself in Class

Yesterday, I was teaching my class and had to deal with two rude young men joking around, talking over me and interrupting me. That behavior didn't last long, because I nipped it in the bud by telling them that if they didn't knock it off, I would remove them from class. Hey, the chairs in my class room have wheels on them; I could have rolled one right out the door, and I know someone would have volunteered to push the other one out. They weren't exactly attentive the rest of class, but I decided to write them an email instead of calling them out in front of their classmates again. This is what I wrote:

Gentlemen,

Your behavior in class today was quite disappointing. You were disrespectful to me and to the other students who were trying to learn. I know you are capable of acting like gentlemen. Please do so in the future.

Sincerely,

Professor....  

 What do you think? Good response? My students are well aware that even though I encourage a friendly class, I like to joke around and I will act silly to get them to remember--well, anything, that I won't take any crap. I was this close to going all Mean Mommy on them and yelling speaking sharply. So I, personally, think my response was pretty good. But feel free to weigh in with your opinions!

The Phone. The Phone is Ringing...

Anyone with young children understands about The. Phone.

Whenever I am on the phone, the kiddo makes a beeline for my side and starts talking in a loud voice. If she realized that it is someone she knows, or better yet, the parent of one of her friends, she drives me nuts. I have had to go to another room in order to try to have a conversation in peace, and she usually follows me. If I go to a room that is off-limits to her, she stands in the hall and talks even more loudly.

But, today, the kiddo herself got a phone call from her school-BFF. They had quite a conversation that went on uninterrupted for a while. Later, I was trying to talk to hubby on the phone only to be interrupted by a loud kiddo. I refuse to say "shut up", but I told her to be quiet/stop talking/go somewhere else but to no avail, and I ended up rather annoyed.

However, now I have leverage: the next time she is on the phone with a friend, I am going to annoy the heck out of her to show her what it feels like. Then, when I am on the phone and she is bugging me, I will remind her that I can do the same to her when she is talking to her friend. Hahahahaha!

Aaaahhhh!

Today was a challenging day. Nothing went my way. Running around, running out of time, backed-up traffic, a massive to-do list...so I yelled a lot.

First, the kiddo freaked out over her library book. I made her look for it, then she said she already returned it. What??? All that yelling for nothing? I'm still not sure what that conversation was  about.

Then, the cat wanted to be fed every hour. Every. Single. Hour. I do not want the fattest cat in the USA, so I said "no way, mister". That doesn't mean much to a cat, though, and he kept getting under foot. I yelled some more, and understood all too well why some people are mean to animals. (Disclaimer: I would never ever hurt an animal. The cat was not harmed while I was yelling, except maybe his ears.)

Then I got the kiddo from school and right away she started asking for candy. That was a definite maybe until I discovered that she hadn't eaten her sandwich. Result: no candy. She actually sat down on the ground in the middle of the field between the school and our house and wailed that she wanted candy. I replied that that wasn't a very smart way to get candy and kept walking. The kiddo followed me, asked for candy again and got the same answer, threw herself down on the ground again and wailed that she wanted candy. My rationale was that if she wasn't hungry enough to eat a PBJ, she couldn't be hungry enough to need candy. I always tell her that she can't have a treat unless she eats something substantial. So she offered to eat some yogurt, because "that's substantial, right?". How could I say "no" to that? Good nutrition, good vocabulary...and just ONE piece of candy. She made my day better. And I had a piece of candy, too ;)

And the kiddo will be getting the same PBJ in her lunch tomorrow.