Lesson #58
Lower your expectations
I feel like I have learned this lesson time and again from my kids. There are good days and bad days as a stay at home mom. But when you are in the midst of a bad day, it is hard to keep that in perspective. All I can see is how crappy things are in the moment. Yesterday was definitely one of those days.
We had a great day of fun planned for the zoo. But it seemed like the odds were against me from the very start. I don't want to rehash it all again but things were just really rough from start to finish. The only real bright spot of the day was the company we had in the friends that met us there. I kept trying to turn things around and be positive. But some days it is just hard to make that switch.
Today, I didn't really have a solid plan from the start. We kind of just made things up as we went along. We started out at the gym so I could at least recharge myself and have the kids play in the child care center. From there, we ran to Target to get a few things. I told the kids they could each get a small set of Pokemon cards. They were totally entertained with those during the shopping. I don't think I had to raise my voice once. Off to Myseum to play and explore from there. Despite the annoyingly loud and chaotic environment, courtesy of a local summer camp, the kids did great! They actually listened to my rule about all staying together. They rarely bickered and all seemed to have fun. We only had one minor tantrum from Zoey, That was a vast improvement from the multiple fits she threw yesterday.
We headed out, without any arguments or crying, and met my sister for lunch. They all ate well and were very well behaved. Ahhhhhh! Home for workbook time and then to naps. Again, no protesting the work time or the napping. I look back at why I am in such a good mood and realize I had very low expectations for the day. It has really made the difference.
Now we just have to get through dinner and hockey practice while dad is at a work meeting tonight. I think I can do it!
Lower your expectations
I feel like I have learned this lesson time and again from my kids. There are good days and bad days as a stay at home mom. But when you are in the midst of a bad day, it is hard to keep that in perspective. All I can see is how crappy things are in the moment. Yesterday was definitely one of those days.
We had a great day of fun planned for the zoo. But it seemed like the odds were against me from the very start. I don't want to rehash it all again but things were just really rough from start to finish. The only real bright spot of the day was the company we had in the friends that met us there. I kept trying to turn things around and be positive. But some days it is just hard to make that switch.
Today, I didn't really have a solid plan from the start. We kind of just made things up as we went along. We started out at the gym so I could at least recharge myself and have the kids play in the child care center. From there, we ran to Target to get a few things. I told the kids they could each get a small set of Pokemon cards. They were totally entertained with those during the shopping. I don't think I had to raise my voice once. Off to Myseum to play and explore from there. Despite the annoyingly loud and chaotic environment, courtesy of a local summer camp, the kids did great! They actually listened to my rule about all staying together. They rarely bickered and all seemed to have fun. We only had one minor tantrum from Zoey, That was a vast improvement from the multiple fits she threw yesterday.
We headed out, without any arguments or crying, and met my sister for lunch. They all ate well and were very well behaved. Ahhhhhh! Home for workbook time and then to naps. Again, no protesting the work time or the napping. I look back at why I am in such a good mood and realize I had very low expectations for the day. It has really made the difference.
Now we just have to get through dinner and hockey practice while dad is at a work meeting tonight. I think I can do it!
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