Hey Momma - Take Your Own Advice

Late last year I wrote a post with five quick tips to having a better day with your kids and I know the tips are so simple but sometimes it's just hard to do and to be very honest with everyone reading, lately I've failed to do the majority of these. Actually with the exception of hugs, I've failed miserably to do these the last couple of days and my husband called me on it. Not in a harsh way, but he read some of my posts last night, then asked me if I've read older posts and mentioned 'kids will be kids.' He didn't intend for it to go through me like a knife, but it did, because I knew I was at fault.

I cried a little, well maybe more than a little and I prayed before I went to sleep for God's help. He's little, he's a kid, he's supposed to be a kid, and I need to be kinder. I also need to be more patient; I must be more patient! 

My son as a newborn.

It's no excuse but we have had arctic blasts and polar vortexes with the weather, and any other new catch phrases the meteorologists can come up with for the absolutely freezing cold. Our son is supposed to go to preschool three days a week but lately we've been lucky to make it one full day with the horrible weather. So he's stuck at home with cabin fever because he can't go outside to play, at least not for long. 

A proud momma
with her little boy.

He also has a new baby sister, that he loves dearly, but she screams a lot and is a momma's girl right now. I love holding her and packing her around (as I did with my son) so now she always wants momma to hold her. My son was the sole focus for almost five years and now attention is not only shared but because she's a baby she requires a lot more attention. That part can't change, but that's no excuse that I haven't been giving my son enough of my focus. I'm the momma, that's my job and lately I haven't been doing enough. 

Our son and I are a lot alike in that we push, we argue, we want it our way, or at least put up a good fight to get our way - we butt heads often. So when I got up this morning I wanted today to be much better for him. When the baby went down for a nap, I tried to really focus on him. We plowed the drive way, rode through the yard on the four-wheeler, came inside to color, and hang out - just the two of us before his little sister woke up. The rest of the day I really tried to make sure I remembered he's little, he needs to act little. I also gave him much more positive attention and you know what…our day went so much smoother. He was happy which made me so happy. 

Positive attention does wonders, for everyone. 

As for tomorrow and the next day, and the day after that, I need to take my own advice. 

1. Breathe

2. Be Patient

3. Laugh

4. Be Kind

5. Hugs