One thing that is so frustrating to me is the kids homework habits. This picture was taken at 10pm on Sunday night. Obviously the best time to work on homework. I HATE when the kids put it off to the last minute, when it's time for bed. This weekend it was difficult to find time earlier (as are MANY weekends). Friday was Grace's birthday and party, Saturday we did chores in the morning and then went sledding. She could have worked on it in the evening. Sunday we went to church and then she watched "just add magic" all afternoon, a cute show about 3 girls who find a magic cookbook. All the while ignoring her homework. Then at 8;30 she "remember" that she had homework, even though she was asked about it earlier and answered no she didn't have any. Grace is not the only one guilty of this behavior, she just happened to be last night's perpetrator. It makes me really annoyed.
In their defense they get very good grades and are excellent student but that's not really the point. It is a matter of priority: doing the important tasks first and then relaxing is the right order, and a good habit and someday it will be important.
This morning I went in the laundry room and Steve was there looking for a spot in his box to do his business. There was not room. I was mad because Grace is supposed to clean the box every.day. So even though it was only 5:15, and even though I knew she was up too late last night, I woke her up and made her go clean it. I have also been known to get kids out of bed to finish putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, unload a dishwasher or clean up a random mess. It's mean but I don't really care. Perhaps sometime this will pay off and they will pick up after themselves without reminders.
Lately I've been frustrated with poor work performance. When the kids set the table they leave off the napkins, or they don't put the plate near the edge of the table (instead they flop them in the middleish), or other careless mistakes. I feel really insulted by this, If I am making the effort of preparing a nice meal and I value the time we spend at the table eating and talking together and I model what it's like to make a pleasing and inviting table setting why do they not care to do their part nicely when it's their turn?
Other things: not replacing an empty roll of TP with a fresh one...why?
leaving empty milk bottles in the fridge? come on!
taking off their shoes and socks and leaving them where they sit!
stacking clean clothes on top of the dresser instead of in the drawer...and then it gets knocked onto the floor....and then they "clean their room" and pick it up and put it back in the hamper. ...makes me scream on the inside!
driving home from somewhere and then getting out of the car and 1) leaving everything in the car to be cleaned out later or 2) bringing some stuff inside, barely, like just passed the threshold of the home, and dropping it to be cleaned up later (or kicked across the room by a passing sibling)
If I am gone and then come home and I know where everyone sat, what they ate, what they did etc. by just looking around that is super annoying. I should not know how many soda's Ethan drank by counting the cans lined up on his window sill.
I know I am not alone in these frustrations, and probably the kids will turn out fine but it makes for a lot of silently counting to 10, 50, 100 in my head, and a lot of "MEAN MOM" moments.
"Why are you so salty mom? I get asked.
"hmm?!?!?"
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