Last night was a tough one.. Everyone stayed up too late Sunday nite watching superbowl.. I got home just in time to run my older one to the pool -from where I had to run him over to piano.. The little one was home, reading. D was cooking dinner.. Got home at 8:40 to have the older one call a classmate for homework assignment followed by a search for online textbook..
So, it was 9:30 when I turned my attention to the younger one, who had a tough homework - he had to conduct an interview of a parent and he was waiting for me.
The interview part went ok, joking all around.. especially the part when I told him I would sleep until 2:30pm and take midday naps before I had kids. He took "notes", a newly acquired skill, saying it had to be brief.
But, by the time it came time to putting the stuff down on paper, he was tired and found that his "notes" were a little too brief maybe.. but he bravely attempted. He had written a few words, before he had a total meltdown... saying how much he hated school work, where he had to work so hard, write so much and so on..
It threw me off totally.. I was tired also.. I should have supported him, hugged him.. but instead I told him off.. saying he was sitting on his work until this late and all of a sudden he starts crying.. while I had to go here, there..
After about a minute, I realized the child was just frustrated at the task at hand. So.. I sent him up to shower and bed, telling him I would wake him up 30 minutes early in the morning, when he could finish up.
He meekly complied. He was up and early in the morning (I guess appreciative of the fact that I didn't escalate the event) and finished up his work in under 10 minutes.
whoever said postponing makes matters worse..!
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4 comments:
Poor thing! But somehow we seem to snap at kids when we're tense ourselves. Happens to me always. Even today I dragged him rudely to the car, made him cry. Because he was dragging his feet & we were late for school. Later I felt I must have got up earlier and had 10 mins to spare! He's too young to understand the concept of time!
Paddu,
cut yourself some slack. Parents are human too with needs/emotions. Kids have to realize that.
We knew never to bother my dad when he was hunting for something or on his way out since that was just asking for a scolding!!
I have to agree with that. Understanding people's moods and working with it is important to learn. I had a week where my younger one was just so cranky, it was exhausting me. I couldn't help it - but before I knew what I was saying - I said to him "Is there something going on with you? If you are tired, you need to sleep. If you are hungry, you need to eat something. But this attitude everyday is wearing me out." He didn't have a response but I think that he never realized how his mood could impact other's moods. He did improve his behavior after that. Now all I worry about is did I scar him for life into thinking that he has to deal with his own problems and nobody else cares.
Sujatha,
I wouldn't worry if I were you. I think kids are tremendously resilient. It's one thing if they are abused, but in my opinion, I wouldn't skirt around their feelings. Your son probably realized his moping wasn't working or maybe it was just a phase.
I go through these mood swings with the kids' changes in moods too.. Irritates me since I am supposed to be the parent!
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