I just screamed, “Don’t yell at your brother!” through the house at my daughter.
I screamed it.
From that guttural, icky place of anger. From that, “I have my period!” place. Not the calm place of discipline. Word-of-the-day? Hypocritical.
Typically I am calm.
Fortunately, through many ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) classes and a very reliable and patient husband (who was raised by “normal” parents, no offense mom, I love you to the moon and back) I’ve acquired a firm, slightly louder voice that is direct and usually puts an end to whining. It’s my “authoritative” not “authoritarian” parent voice. Bonus points.
But when I get my period, that voice gets very scared and hides in a corner with a bag of chocolate chips and rocks herself back and forth. That’s because Creepy Cat Lady moves into my body when I get my sweet, love-being-a-woman period. *smiles through gritted teeth*
Creepy Cat Lady is an old-bitty with giant red lips, slouched shoulders, cotton candy hair, and eyes like the barrels of two guns. She wears sweatpants with blouses. She doesn’t understanding children, expects them to be small adults who are quiet and only ask a question once.
I'd actually like to know her. A tough lady!
She thinks children should respond to the answer NO, eat what is served, and leave toys untouched after they’ve been put away. And if they don’t, she screeches and hisses and shows her fangs. Creepy Cat Lady scares me. I usually hide in the corner with my “authoritative” voice until Creepy Cat Lady leaves.
I could use some tools to reason with Creepy Cat Lady.
What do you do when you need more information about parenting? When you want more tools? When Creepy Cat Lady gets transported into your body and takes over your home? Yes, she could take a bath and eat chocolate chips with me in the corner. But that doesn’t really change her unpredictable outbreaks, her screeching and hissing at young children.
A friend of mine is going to this parenting conference on April 13th. What do you think? Does it look like it could give me some tools on days when I’m feeling, “not so fresh?” I want to be the best parent I can be and I can’t do that on my own. I need advice from other parents, people who have been there. I want my children to be empowered and feel loved and capable. Most of the time I do an ok job. But not all the time.
Check this information out. I think I’m going to attend. Have you gone to anything like this and found success?
Friday, April 13, 2012, 7 to 9 p.m.
Falcon Ridge Middle School, 12900 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley
$10 per person ($15 per couple) in advance
$15 per person ($20 per couple) at the door
Childcare is NOT provided
Door open at 6:30 p.m. A dessert reception will follow the conference.
http://www.district196.org/ecfe/UpcomingEvents.cfm
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wth! Shes here too! Just this morning, Sassy got her mouth slapped for talking back. 1 It stopped her from mouthing off- 2 I felt awful afterwards. 1 she doesnt need to be talking to me like that. 2 could i have handled it without slapping her mouth? I told her numerous times to watch her mouth and attitude, she kept on mouthing off- finally i just snapped and she got a little slap on the mouth. We never got warnings as kids- we just got slapped, or backhanded. I guess it wouldnt hurt to attend anything that makes us better parents, which in turn will make the kids better. Im going to think about attending this as well.
Parenting is the toughest job in the whole wide world!! I slapped my daughter once. It was just after my son was born and she hit him. I didn’t even take a second to think, I just reacted. After having my second baby I was so on edge. I definitely need advice so I can create that space before reacting. Sometimes we get all our buttons pushed all at the same time and there is no more patience. I can always use some tips and tools. Let me know if you decide to go! We can sit together:)
When I get an attack of the creepy cat lady, I talk to my sister. She has very good advice and I appreciate her a lot.
Your sister rocks!! And you are the best big sister EVER! Love you:)
I’m not a parent, so I can’t answer that. But I think we all benefit from sharing our experiences with one another. That may be why then invented blogs…
They not *then. Nothing deflates my comments more than a typo.
So true! Some of the blogs I’ve read have straightened me out on a few issues. It’s awesome that we can talk to each other, even if we’ve never met, even if we are miles and miles apart. The blogging world makes me feel close to a lot of people:)
I am totally that woman the 3 days before I start my period. Since my kids were small, we’ve had a family announcement that “the werewolf is here” and my husband steps in and keeps the little werewolves at bay. I hate it. I hate that it comes. It gets worse every year. But I am very very good at keeping myself in control and being who I want to be the rest of the time.
You are so lucky and SMART for making the announcement! A good warning will help everybody deal with the creepy cat lady!