I love encouraging moms with little kids.  It’s part of my mission statement.  I especially have a soft spot for moms with kids that are close together like mine.  I didn’t know anyone personally in that situation, so I like to be available to encourage those moms whenever possible.  I always tell them that each stage gets a little easier.  Just keep going.

I feel like I’ve been stopped dead in my tracks recently.  All three of my kids have an unfortunate amount of energy that I just can’t keep up with, and can’t seem to direct or refocus.  At 7, 8, and 9 they can create quite the tornado when they work together.  Homework time usually turns into me yelling and sending two to their rooms so I can work with one child at a time.  Dinner time turns into a fart orchestra (real and fake) that we keep trying to teach them is inappropriate for the table, but they apparently can’t hear us over their maniacal laughter.  Again, they go to their rooms for disturbing the peace, and for their own protection quite honestly.  The bickering leaves me at a point where I just don’t even want to be around them.  I try to leave them be to work it out on their own, but at a certain point I just can’t listen to it anymore.

A friend reminded Chad and I this morning that it’s February.  Cabin fever is spreading through most families’ homes, and that was a good reminder, and a ray of hope – perhaps this will get better in one short month!

I laid all of this out for Chad so he knows where I’m at (and why I’m a mess when he gets home from work), and we’re working on putting some new measures in place.  To help with the homework challenge, the kids now each have the opportunity to earn a sucker if they do all of their homework without any complaining or fighting with me.  Yes, I’ve stooped to bribing them with candy to do their homework, and I’m ok with it for now.  It’s better than the current atmosphere in our home.

One thing they bicker about the most is whose turn it is to play the Wii.  My solution: no more Wii during the week.

I’m not sure why I decided to write this post.  The subtitle of my blog is “an honest look at one mom’s life,” so I suppose this fits.  Maybe some of you are finding some of the same problems in your homes.  I also know there is great value in not suffering in silence, where guilt and shame can start to creep in.  We’re in this together, mommas!

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