Dealing With Frustration

Dealing with Frustration

When you are raising a toddler, a preschooler and a school aged child, you will have to deal with frustration. If it isn't the chocolate hand prints on your just cleaned windows; it will be the blocks that just magically landed in the middle of the living room for your foot to find. Then add in the husband(significant other) that wants attention as well and what is a mother to do?
You can put your hands over your ears and scream. This would feel really good but perhaps gain you attention from neighbors you didn't wish to have. You could lay down in the floor and kick and scream like the aforementioned toddler. However, this could possibly scare the pants off of your children and have your darling husband call medical professionals. Then there is the chocolate option. Eat every piece of chocolate in sight while muttering under your breath that you wish you could have one minute of peace and quiet and that you are sick and tired of certain behavior. Then rest assured, these words will come back to haunt you during your children's pretend play. I overheard, my 4 year old telling her dolls " I am sick and tired and I need a doctor cause he can give me some peace and quiet and you will have to have pink medicine to stop the sick and tired and don’t forget we gotta go to the lady shop and buy some peace and quiet for mommy". Yes, these words will haunt you.
So it boils down to walking out of the room and finding something physical to do. Attack that tub with a vengeance or mop the floor with gusto. In those rare moments you can't walk out of the room, perhaps you will have to resort to sitting in the middle of the floor and crying your eyes out. But rest assured frustration will pass. Just be creative, count backwards, start doing jumping jacks and your kids will stop in their tracks. Probably, in my case cause they are shocked by my midsection bouncing like a bowl full of jello. It works and gives you the added benefit of exercise. Just remember that one day.......those who have made it pass each stage we are going through tell us they look back on these years with fondness and humor. These childish moments will pass, even when it is mommy being childish. We all grow up, even us mommies. Frustration is temporary but love lasts a life time. So I am trying to, emphasis on trying, to remember in the middle of those most frustrating moments to remember that this time is fleeting and my kids are growing fast. One day I will miss that chocolate covered face print my baby daughter just put on the carpet after she stole MY chocolate covered marshmallows and devoured them.
Yes........this too one day will be funny.