Trying to brush an unwilling child’s teeth is like trying to wrestle a gator with clinched jaws. And you better watch out — they can (and do) bite.
After a lecture from the dentist about how we really need to be making the boys brush their teeth twice a day, I began to get worried.
How was I going to get this done?
The boys no longer do things just because I say they should. They question everything and anything you tell them to do. They must ask the whys, and the what ifs.
But why must we brush our teeth? What happens if you don’t eat your vegetables? Why do I have to wash my hands again after I use the bathroom?
They certainly keep me on my toes with so many questions. I now have to play out the “what happens if we don’t do this” scenarios for them. I appreciate their inquisitive minds, but it’s exhausting.
And for some reason, they don’t always believe the answers I give them. (Because you know, I’m so often trying to lead them astray.)
Now where did I put that?
As I find myself endlessly searching through my house, I realize, yes, it’s true; I’m becoming my mother. I’ve laughed at her through the years because she’s always losing things; I even joked that she would lose her head if it wasn’t attached … and now my words have come back to bite me.
But I haven’t decided if I’m truly getting more forgetful in my old age, or if I just have more things to keep track of than ever before?
When you are a kid, you don’t fully comprehend how much your parents have on their plates.
Now I have a system in place to put my phone, car keys, wallet, glasses, etc., exactly in the same spot — that way I always know where to find them. And this works really well … when I actually do it. Now if I could just keep this up with everything else in my life.
I’ve always found there are advantages and disadvantages to every situation; you must make what you will of them.
I was an only child — and trust me — it definitely had its advantages.
Only children get to spend all their time in the limelight and don’t really have to share much; there is nobody to fight with, nobody to pull your hair; you become quite independent and creative; and of course, all the Christmas presents under the tree are for you.
But then again, being an only child has its drawbacks, too. Such as when you do something wrong (a true rarity), there is nobody else to point the finger at, and also no one to rally with you to sway authority (numbers always increase your odds). As an expert, I have seen the long-term side effects of being an only child include not knowing how to ask for help, being bossy and talking to yourself (when your parents ignore you, which they inevitably will do).
While growing up as an only child worked for me (for the most part — yes, I still talk to myself), when thinking about my own family, I knew I wanted to have more than one. Handling two (or more) is a whole other subject, but having a sibling always ensures you have someone to play with, and a person in your corner. My boys are close in age, and have grown up spending all their time together.
Halloween is my boys’ favorite holiday. I don’t know if it’s the pumpkins, things that go bump in the night, or the plethora of sugar they enjoy so much, but dressing up for trick or treat is even bigger than Christmas at my house. In fact, the boys have been trying to decide what they were going to be for Halloween since last Halloween.
And every week — all year long — it’s been something different. Every time I thought we’d come to a decision, they went and changed their minds again.
But with the final day closing in on us, I forced the boys to make a choice. The costumes have been purchased, and I broke the news to them that they can’t change their minds anymore.
Begrudgingly, the boys have come to terms with this. So they’ve already moved on and started planning their Halloween costumes for next year.
“Is this Rachael Turner, Wyatt’s Mom?”
I hesitate, afraid to hear the news. “Yes.” What has he done now?
This is my second official visit to the school’s nurse’s office, my fourth injury report, and the second time I’ve signed a “know the signs of concussion” form.
Is it really only October? How am I going to make it through the school year at the rate we are going right now? What’s even worse is I have another boy starting school next year.
Look out for those Turner boys.
My six-year-old son explains simply that he must run or he will be caught. Apparently, the girls love to chase the boys, and if they catch them, hug them as much as possible.
Oh no — problems with girls and boys — yes, it’s already begun. And I thought I had a few more years to prepare.
Sitting still for an hour when you are six is nearly impossible. But you’ve got to remember, one hour in children’s time is like a whole year for the average person.
It’s basically impossible not to fidget, wiggle or develop violent headshaking syndrome. Let’s face it, kids have a lot of energy, and they are not afraid to show it.
As adults, we are often happy to have those few minutes to just sit still and do nothing. But for kids, it’s torture.
I’ve often heard people say, “Man, I wish I had their energy.” So that got me thinking, where does this energy come from?
Your kids wake up excited, full of joy and ready to go. So why do we feel like we have to have a mocha latte with a double shot of espresso just to keep up?
Because we don’t follow the same rules we set for our kids. We make them eat, sleep and play at specific set times, in ample amounts, every day. This is the perfect recipe for energy.
What’s funny is we spend a lot of our time and energy trying to think up creative ideas to entertain our children. But of all the people in the world, they are absolutely the easiest to keep occupied. It’s us who need the entertainment. We need the soccer game to cheer at, the outing to the park or pool, or the play date with other parents.
Children delight in the simplicities of life.
The older you get, the more it seems you enjoy stories from your parents and grandparents. What was it really like when they were a kid? What did they do for fun?
Childhood, when you are in it, seems like it will never end. But you turn around, look in the mirror, and your youth has suddenly vanished. You realize your parents aren’t so much older than you — as you used to think they were.
My kids laughed and told me just the other day, “No, you were never a kid, mommy.” Obviously, to them, I’ve always just been a mommy. There was nothing before, and nothing after.
Hopefully, with age, comes wisdom and truth. As I’ve grown up, family traditions and old ways of doing things have become more interesting to me. As I child, I would usually spend a week of the summer with my grandparents in Indiana. They had a large garden, and I used to love to go and pick berries and beans or corn with my grandfather in the early mornings.
Now, I don’t have a large garden, but I have become more interested in what my family is putting in their mouths lately.
