Keeping your cool...

I'm having a lot of trouble keeping my cool with the kids this summer...they seem to be up to a lot of mischief or accidental mischief..ie Alex opened the door up this am and left it open and of course the dog ran out and prowled the neighborhood for 1/2 an hour ....like we don't have enough dog issues!!!!!!!!!! We had just come off of a 'quiet time' where I had gotten to use the computer and they'd watched Peter Pan, and I've sent them all off to their rooms now because I just need another break



How is everyone else coping? Any suggestions before my children end up in permanent 'quiet time'?



kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."
Douglas Adams

...and I end up in a straight jacket



Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."
Douglas Adams

I am having the same problem right now. I really think a lot of it has to do with the craziness of moving - even a few months down the line (in your case). I just grit my teeth and leave the room for a while if I get too stressed by the kids' antics. I unpacked their room first so they can play (ie IN ISOLATION) while I get to the rest of the house. I'm on break right now Perhaps they're all stir crazy? My kids get that way very, very easily. After I have things somewhat settled in (ie a few weeks from now hopefully), I'll have to get the kids out at least every other day. The key to end the mischeviousness in my opinion is to run them ragged and get them busy.



Jennifer

I am so glad others are feeling the same way as me. I want to put myself in permanent time-out in my bedroom away from my kids. They are driving me nuts! With all the rain, we have been stuck in the house for the last three days and they are fighting constantly. My 2-year old is screaming all the time, usually being egged on by his older brother. I need to find a way to run them ragged but I haven't found the solution yet. I know it takes awhile to transition from moving but I guess I expected this time to be a bonding time because I am not working right now and have more time to spend with them. They don't want to play any of the games I come up with. My older boys just want to play Nintendo or computer. I know I have let them sit in front of a tv screen way too much since we got here because it has kept them somewhat quiet so that I could get things unboxed. I don't have a solution for this but it is nice to know that you are going through similar things. Maybe the straight-jacket will be the next thing I unpack!!!



Robin

Well, I'm feeling relieved too, knowing I'm not alone. I hate letting them sit in front of the 'boob tube' so much, but on the other hand, I need time to check my emails, do laundry and clean the kitchen....



Our biggest dilemna now is our toadies and frog...Alex is constantly running out to the terrarium to touch them and play with them...and when we take him away, he screams and carries on. Andrew can't be bothered by his sister and brother and is way too busy with his atlas and harry potter books, which leaves my daughter with hurt feelings....



They all want to go out and swim in the pool then, and I end up just sitting outside supervising. I think it would be more fun with companionship. It's funny, but we waited all winter for summer and now the kids aren't into going outside because it's 1. too hot and 2. the mosquitos are MEAN around here.



I feel like they are only children once and this time is going by soo fast. I want them to really enjoy their summers...and at the same time, we're already getting on each others nerves



Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."
Douglas Adams

[DCJenn]

Well- there were many times that my mother literally had to lock my brother out of the house- he was just glued to the TV. He had a play gym and all of his little buddies in the neighborhood- but he'd just sit and watch tv. Finally she'd kick him out and not let him in until lunch. He always teases her about the time she locked him out so that she could clean and "the tears froze to my face". (yes, he's a mama's boy!)



I wish I had suggestions but I'm pretty much going stir crazy myself. We closed the office again because of all of the flooding so- I'm reading and checking email. I cna't even go to the gym- they're closed too!



Jenn

Kris, I HEAR YOU!!! I think that my girls are three and a half and that I only have two years left to make their preschool years memorable. With twin I have felt like I've been lucky to just get the basics done, let alone spending time on enrichment and developmental activities (like teaching them the alphabet and numbers). And I ALWAYS feel like I don't get down and play with them enough. There is always so much to do around the house that I don't have time to play as much as I'd like. There is always tomorrow to do better. I hate the guilt that goes with motherhood. But maybe that's what keeps me thinking about doing better.



A funny story about how my mom got my teenage brother to stop watching TV so much. He was very vain as a teen, and my mom said to him one day "John, look at me. Oh my, I think your eyes are getting smaller from watching TV." He quit cold turkey! It was way too funny!

It's funny..we waited so long for the sunny weather, and now the kids just want to stay inside



I really think I'm going to have to plan each day the night before so that we are more organized. I had tried to institute some organized learning time early in the summer, but it was too difficult with Finny's school schedule and the soccer stuff....I'm going to try and slip back into that...The Barnes and Nobles near us has a reading thing...if you read 8 books and write what you like about each book then you get a free book...so that sounds like one idea. Does anyone else have that going on in their area??? Do they have B + N in Canada?



I'm instituting quiet time every day now for one hour. I don't care what they do for that hour, but I need time for myself to read, write, check my email or see what everyone here is up to.....



I'm glad I'm not alone



Kris
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."
Douglas Adams

I am totally with you on the quiet time. I started that ritual about two years ago. I basically have about an hour a day where the kids either have to take a nap, lie down in bed quietly, or play VERY quietly in their room. It can be very very hard for them somedays - but the longer we've done it the better they've gotten. It is a lifesaver for me to have an hour to myself in quiet during the day. It also has helped the kids learn to be able to be quiet when we are in other situations (church, work functions, etc). I think learning to be quiet and still for a period of time is a really good skill for kids to learn (and a sanity saver for parents).



Jennifer

[DCJenn]

My mom did this for us as well. It was great for me because I was perfectly happy to entertain myself (still am for that matter) but my brother had a real problem with it. He still doesn't like to be by himself too long. If my SIL goes out of town he'll end up at my parents house.



Jennifer I do think it's an important skill to have though. I'm able to distract myself in boring meetings! Of course the ever deadly sharp fingernails applied between the muscles of ones arm never ceased to quiet us down in church, either. (and you know, everyone I know has had the fingernail treatment in church, too.)



Jenn

I LIVE for quiet time each day! I really need it for my sanity. When it doesn't work out, the day seems so much longer.



I agree with Janet about wanting to spend more time playing with the kids but finding that there is too much to do just with the basics. I feel A LOT of guilt. I also wish I had more patience. I am not handling things as well as I would like with bored kids.



I was desperate last night trying to find a solution for the negative feelings that seem to be in my house all of the time. Between the kids fighting with each other to my impatience with them ... I'm sure that these are not the memorable summer memories that I want them to have!!!! I found an article last night about how important it is for the kids to feel love in their home and to serve each other. Tonight when Russ gets home, I am going to have everyone put their name in a hat and we will draw names. For the next week, they get to do nice things for the person they have. I am hoping that if they start looking for ways to serve each other, MAYBE there will be less fighting. What do you think? I am going to give it a try and see what happens. If it works the first week, then we will do it again, drawing a new name for the next week. I need peace and harmony in my house or I am going to go nuts.



Anyway... it is nice to hear that everyone struggles at times in this area. I don't want to wish my kids summer away so I am trying not to wish school would start tomorrow! HA!



Robin