Tough Love

This is a post that I'm not proud to put out on the net but I want anyone reading this to know that my life is normal and not always so perfect!

Its 8:00 AM Saturday and if you happen to be walking by my house, you've already gotten an ear full. I'm guilty....sometimes I yell at my children! It takes a lot for me to get this ugly, but on occasion I just lose it! My fingers are typing at top speed because the adrenalin is still pumping through my veins. It's not about the opened boxes of cereal they forget to put away....its not about the drips of milk on the floor that mysteriously appeared there that can only be seen with mommy goggles on....its not about the dirty clothes on the floor AROUND the hamper...its the disrespectful tone and snotty words that I will not tolerate!


I think I'm a patient mom and I talked about it yesterday....the overtired nature of the kids is something I expect throughout September and October. I'm a seasoned mom and I just know that there are some things that are beyond our control and no matter how rested the kids are, the start of the school year exhausts kids physically and emotionally. I know this and I work so hard to tolerate the odd nature of these beasts for these first few months. BUT....when my daughter talks to me with attitude and disrespect, I am forced to kick it up a notch. Maybe yelling and time removed from the rest of the family is not how others handle situations like this but I refuse to let any one of my kids be disrespectful.


She doesn't realize how much my heart aches when she acts like that....where does she get the idea that it is acceptable to talk to anyone with such a nasty tone? It cannot be a learned behavior because I certainly do not talk to others like that! I am respectful....to my husband, my family and my friends. It's a struggle! If she didn't look so much like me, I'd wonder whose child she was!!! I know I'm not alone....lots of my friends with daughters ask that very question too. I feel deeply it is my job as a mom to change her evil ways. I love her......more than anything I love this girl.

In a short while I will go to her and explain how change has got to happen. She's lovely when she wants to be and ugly doesn't suit her. We are not all perfect and we all have bad days - I will be the first to testify to that....but we need to work to get along. I hear her pleading from the next room....she's sorry, wants to apologize and....in words I have given her....she's saying she loves me, her heart is heavy and she needs to hug me. I'm starting to think she got the message - this house has no tolerance for disrespect.

Hugs to you my sweet Makenna....please, be a nice girl!

Love, Mom.