Parenting is hard.....it has been a rough week here....let me explain.
We should be in the Wisconsin Dells right now spending the night at the Kalahari Resort. We should be swimming, playing, going down water slides, and having lots of fun. We are not there.
We had a lot going on this past week. We attended 2 birthday parties. We met friends at the park. We had teacher visits. We had family over for pudgy pies. We cleaned rooms. I worked. Dan worked. The kids played. The kids misbehaved......the kids didn't listen....there were bad attitudes, there was fighting, there were unkind words spoken to each other....and that is unacceptable.
We aren't perfect parents. We don't know if what we are doing is "right" or "wrong." However, we do know how we don't want our children to behave and we do know how we want them to behave.
We know children that are disrespectful to their parents. We know children that fight and yell at each other. We know children who don't get along. We know siblings that don't speak kindly to each other. We do not judge them...to each his own. What we do know is that we don't want that for our family.
Molly is going to be 9 in a month or so. She is "testing the waters", I think. When I asked her to do something this past week, she said, "NO." (3 times in a row!) That isn't gonna fly here. The kids each have a daily chore to do. They are expected to do it without being asked to do it. They haven't been doing it. The kids are expected to keep their rooms cleaned....that hasn't been happening either.
So, after a very long day on Thursday, when Dan came home from work we had a family meeting. We talked through some things and we decided that until we can keep up with what we should be doing we were not going to go to the Kalahari. For my siblings, yes, that is totally something Mom would have done and now we did it too. Things have to change.
Please don't get me wrong here....I know that kids are kids and they will misbehave and even be down right naughty. We just don't want our kids to be disrespectful to us OR each other. It's called "tough love." We love them beyond words and only want the best for them. We take full responsibility in their latest actions. So , we have made some changes.
We will be putting the kids to bed together from now on. We purchased a devotion book to read to the kids at night. We have reassigned daily chores and have made a chore chart. Hopefully, if they see what they need to do, it will be easier to remember. We have or morning routine down. I think we are good to go now. We have always said a prayer together on the way to school each morning and we will continue to do so.
I think the kids are just ready to go back to school and get back in to a routine of some sort. I know I am ready for that as well! School starts on Tuesday. The kids are excited! We even went to school a couple of times last week to help out with bulletin boards. We took the teachers some treats one day, as well!
I think we are all better now. .... I think.
The kids all got hair cuts on Saturday and their school clothes are organized. The backpacks are packed with all their supplies and ready for "back to school night" tomorrow night. Oh and we went car shopping yesterday as well. We only made it to two dealerships. Do you know how hard it is to car shop with 6 kids? We even were brave and test drove a car. Dan stayed in the van with the kids while I test drove, and then I stayed in the car with the kids while he test drove. Like Kate Gosslin says, " it's a crazy life, but it's our life!" I think we have decided on one....maybe. (if you are wondering...our van can only seat 8...in a few months we will be a family of 9...we can't afford a huge van, so we are getting a small car and will just have to drive 2 cars when we want to go somewhere as a family. It sucks....but we don't have any other options right now.)
I am sitting at Nagawaukee ice arena watching Dan skate with Abbie, Sadie, and Kenadie right now. It was their special time with us. Oma is at home with the other 3, probably giving them donuts and candy. Did you know it is much easier to browse at Target when you only have 3 with you and not 6?
I am sorry I have been away this week...I just needed to regroup. I think I might have it all back together now. Well, at least for today.
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