Conversations in The House

Do not hit your Mama.  We do not hit.
Play with your truck on the floor.  Trucks do not go on the table.
Say please.
If you want more, you must say more please.
Do not hit your cousin in the head with a train.
We do not throw our food on the floor.
If you do that again, you will get a timeout.
We do not whine for no reason.
Do not hit your head against the wall.
Do not push your sister.
Let go of your brother's neck.
You have to at least try one green been.
Do not hold your sippy cup upside down.
Please help pick up toys
Do not hit. Hitting isn't nice.
Do not stomp your feet at me.
Sit still while I'm changing your diaper.
We don't play in the bathroom.
No more hitting!

I'm not surprised at how difficult parenting is.  I knew what I was getting into, and got into it willingly, and wouldn't change that choice ever.  I love being Nur and TT's Mama.  What does surprise me is how personally I take some of their behaviors.  Sometimes, these kids of mine are just downright naughty.  It makes me wonder, what am I doing wrong? Is their behavior being reflected by my parenting? Are my kids the only kids who act like this?  At what point will all of my hard work in discipling these two pay off? 

Some days are just so hard in our household.  Some days I feel like all I am saying all day long is the word NO.  I'm trying so hard to teach my children the difference between right and wrong.  I'm trying so hard to teach my children to be respectful to others and to themselves.  And I realize they are only 1 and 2, and way too young to really understand those concepts. I also understand that they have immature emotions at this point in their lives, and therefore some behaviors will come out of those immature emotions.

But man! Some days I just feel completely defeated!  TT for example likes to hit.  What's interesting, is she resorts to hitting when she feels anxiety about something.  A lot of times when we enter an unsure situation, she will turn to me and hit me in her face.  Hitting is an automatic timeout, and then I get to her level after her timeout and explain that we don't hit.  But this has been going on for months now.  When does it sink in?  What should I be doing differently?

Some people's childrens seem to be so behaved, and mine always seem to have an issue. . . big or small, no matter where we go.  Yes, feeling defeated.

But then sometimes, out of the blue, the kids will do something that makes me think, okay, they are getting it.  The repetition is working.  Like last night, when T handed TT a bracelet, and she said thank you.  Okay, this is paying off.  This will get better! Please tell me this will get better.

We have good days too, don't get me wrong.  Yesterday was a good day.  The morning went smoothly.  There weren't tantrums at the breakfast table.  There were no crocodile tears when I walked out the door for work.  And when I got home from work, both kids came running to me to hug me.  Yes, a good day.

Then the kids were feeling silly.  TT got out her bathing suits from her drawer and wanted T and I to put every single one on her.  She was laughing so hard and wouldn't let us take them off until it was time for baths.  I think the suits added 10 pounds to her frame!

Nur didn't want to be left out of the action, so he insisted I put this bow in his hair.  Is it just me, or does he look really good in pink?