Doing Too Much and Not Enough
Now that my girls are school-aged and don't need me as much to stay alive, I'm in a constant see-saw of feeling like I'm not doing enough and like I'm doing way too much.
When they were little, it was a constant stream of making sure they were fed, changed, clean, content, polite, active, rested, etc. Babies have a basic daily schedule that, over time, becomes more flexible. But now, that schedule is almost adult-ish, it revolves around school, meals and getting to bed on time.
At the same time, I'm now in the business of raising adults, teaching them the basics of living, being independent and expecting more from yourself. But, at the same time, they're still kids and not great at some of the most basic domestic or life skills.
Plus, I'm a stay-at-home-mom, so I have the ability to do their laundry, clean their rooms and wash up after them because it's what I do anyway.
Thus, my constant battle.
Today, I made them breakfast, but they made their own school lunch (granted, from items I bought at the store yesterday with an eye for them to be lunch supplies, but still...). They got themselves dressed and ran a brush through their own hair. I'll make them dinner, because I like to, and I'll do their dishes and I'll be the one to say "time for bed!" and so on.
And somedays, I get into bed and think, I'm doing way too much. And I'm a horrible nag. "Is your laundry folded?" "Fold your laundry. Now, please." Repeat. Repeat. Gah! I hate that. Am I expecting too much?
Then I fold the laundry after days of nagging just to empty the basket so I can use it for other stuff and I go to bed feeling like they'll never be functioning adults. "They can't even fold their own laundry!" Interchange other domestic life skills for laundry and you get the idea.
It's a lose-lose battle most days, I guess.
I really thought once they were school-aged parenting would be "easier." And sure, I'm no longer dealing with poo or spoon-feeding grumpy toddlers, but it's NOT gotten all that much easier. Tantrums, grumpiness and refusing to touch "dirty" dishes is still very much a thing. So, here we are.
At the same time, I'm now in the business of raising adults, teaching them the basics of living, being independent and expecting more from yourself. But, at the same time, they're still kids and not great at some of the most basic domestic or life skills.
Plus, I'm a stay-at-home-mom, so I have the ability to do their laundry, clean their rooms and wash up after them because it's what I do anyway.Thus, my constant battle.
Today, I made them breakfast, but they made their own school lunch (granted, from items I bought at the store yesterday with an eye for them to be lunch supplies, but still...). They got themselves dressed and ran a brush through their own hair. I'll make them dinner, because I like to, and I'll do their dishes and I'll be the one to say "time for bed!" and so on.
And somedays, I get into bed and think, I'm doing way too much. And I'm a horrible nag. "Is your laundry folded?" "Fold your laundry. Now, please." Repeat. Repeat. Gah! I hate that. Am I expecting too much?
Then I fold the laundry after days of nagging just to empty the basket so I can use it for other stuff and I go to bed feeling like they'll never be functioning adults. "They can't even fold their own laundry!" Interchange other domestic life skills for laundry and you get the idea.
It's a lose-lose battle most days, I guess.
I really thought once they were school-aged parenting would be "easier." And sure, I'm no longer dealing with poo or spoon-feeding grumpy toddlers, but it's NOT gotten all that much easier. Tantrums, grumpiness and refusing to touch "dirty" dishes is still very much a thing. So, here we are.
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