One parenting lesson I’m learning right now and that so many others have learned before me is that weekends aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. Now that my lil’ munchkin is growing into a healthfully defiant 2 1/2 year old, weekends tend to throw a wrench into our well oiled routine. We wake up Saturday morning with the highest of hopes for a nice respite from the busyness of the week only to be pulled abruptly back down to reality.
The past couple of months Eva just cannot handle the change in routine a weekend brings. She is so happy to have her Daddy home, and I am so happy to have her Daddy home so he can take care of her, and I can get a little bit of a brake but it just doesn’t work out that way. Our toddler NEEDS routine and does not do well when it is disrupted. This leaves me feeling resentful that my husband is home on a weekend?! WTF?!
As far as letting Daddy do the usual routine things like taking her to the potty, getting her dressed, brushing her hair. She will have none of it. Daddy is not for taking care of me! He is for playing with me!!!
All of this disruption in her routine makes her a very grumpy little girl. Crying and throwing a fit over every little thing. Daddy tries to do something like say get her dressed, she will have none of it and start crying, mommy steps in to try and work some magic, she starts crying even harder “I want my Daddy!!!”
This reminds me of how I used to be when I would come home from being at a friends house all weekend. Now I know why my dad would tell me. “If your going to be so grumpy when you get home I’m not letting you spend the day at a friends house anymore.” I totally get it now Dad. Just what you always wished for right?
Maybe the real lesson I’m learning (over and over again) is that life with kids is an ever changing process. Nothing ever stays the same for long. I used to look forward to weekends…now I look forward to Mondays. Go figure.
photo credit: Chelsea Peterson (go check her out on flickr)
Last Sunday Chris woke up and had a bug up his butt to go to church. We hadn’t been since before Christmas because of issues with putting Eva in the daycare and just general laziness. I was surprised by his new-found motivation to do something on a Sunday morning but was also kinda glad because I have been wanting to go. All in all we had a great day, church was great, music was great, and Eva actually did not cry a tear the whole time in the daycare. Success!
This Sunday we had every intention of going back and I was excited we would be making this a regular thing and that Eva would get used to going and feel even more comfortable there. Chris made breakfast, I took a shower, we were right on track until Eva decided to be the little heathen toddler that she is and not let me get her dressed. Me, being in no mood to run after a 2 year old for the tenth time that morning threatened her that we would not go anywhere if she didn’t come get dressed RIGHT NOW. Of course she still didn’t listen and I was determined to follow through with my threat.
About an hour goes by and I suggest to Chris that we try to make the 12 o’ clock service. I won’t get into all the details but that attempt ended with another confrontation involving bean burritos.
I hate a wasted Sunday and am having a hard time getting over all the free stuff that was going on today that we could have done and instead have been holed up in this houes on such a beautfiul day. I love just sitting aorund and relaxing on Sunday’s but this Sunday has been full of confrontation and anything but calm and relaxing. Instead of sipping coffee and reading the paper I have been vacuuming up those annoying little spiders that hide in the corner of my walls, vegging out on the computer, and crying in my daughters bedroom while she wipes my tears with me feeling like the saddest excuse for a mother there ever was.
