Jayna is apparently going through some major developmental/emotional changes right now. She gets her feelings hurt very easily. She throws tantrums over things like broken crayons (that SHE broke, mind you). And she doesn't want to be anymore than 2 feet away from Chris or me at ALL times. It's a bit ridiculous, sad, heartbreaking and...yep, you guessed it...funny all at the same time.
"That's sooo mean!!! She just said it was FUNNY that her kid get's her wittle feelings hurt! She's absolutely NOT getting Mother of the Year this year!!!!"
Well, guess what people?!? I can GUARANTEE that if you just said the above statement, then you do NOT, in fact, have any children. Which makes you a jerk. So there.
Or maybe you do and you just don't have a sense of humor. And that makes you no friend of mine. Not because I don't want to be your friend, but because you won't want to be mine after learning all the terrible things I do and say in the name of humor. You'll hate me. And I'm okay with that. I'm old enough to not worry about that anymore. So....hate away, my nonfriends!!
Back to the story....
Mondays are never good. I try REALLY hard to make them decent, but it hardly ever works. And then my Tuesday is bad because I wasted all that effort trying to make Monday good that by Tuesday I'm just over it. This Monday wasn't particularly bad. It was actually...NOT horrible. I don't know what I did right, but I'll take it.
I picked Jayna up from school and was informed that she didn't have a very long nap. Great! It's okay because Monday up until 4pm didn't suck and I'm prepared to FORCE THIS CHILD TO HAVE A GOOD EVENING!!!!
We went home. We played outside. We played in the sand. We played on the swing. We played with Oliver. We went in. We had a snack. We watched a show.
How many fits do you think Jayna threw?
I'll tell you...it was no less than 86. Seriously. But I kept my composure EVERY time and just worked through it with her. I had NEVER been this patient in my life. I was determined to not get angry/frustrated/upset.
And finally when she was sitting there eating her Mini Wheats and watching Curious George and suddenly started throwing a fit over ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, I broke.
I broke RIGHT IN HALF.
I kneeled down so I was eye level with her. I tried REALLY hard to sound calm. Apparently that didn't work. As I scolded her, I could hear my voice getting louder and louder.
Me: Jayna, you are a big girl. YOU don't throw fits like this. THERE IS NOTHING ON EARTH that could have just happened to you THAT WOULD MAKE YOU THROW THIS FIT. STOP NOW OR GO TO YOUR ROOM. GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!!!
Jayna: Mommy, I just having a bad day. I sit on your lap now.
Well...shit. Dammit.
She was just having a bad day. That's all. Just like the rest of us on most Mondays. A bad day. That's all.
And I was soooo determined to NOT have a bad day that I overlooked that she is her own being and has her own feelings and experiences. She is independent of me.
Well played, Jayna.
In 2 sentences, she took me from practically screaming to cuddling her on the couch without an angry bone in my body.
Oh, don't think there weren't guilty bones in there. The guilty bone is one you grow when you become a parent. And when something like this happens, it's like when you hit your funny bone. It hurts really bad, but only for a minute...until you get a good "squeeze hug" from a 2-year-old. :)
Mistakes will be made, but that kid will NO DOUBT call me out every. single. time. I fancy that about her. She's as honest as they come...and oh so sweet.
She really does give the best "squeeze hugs" too. Those hugs can remedy anything.
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