Patience...My Lack Of

I am not nearly as good a mother as I thought I’d be. Before I had kids, I imagined my loving, patient self mothering only with love and respect.

That is so far from the truth.

I admire people with endless patience. I wish I were one of those people.

But instead, I snap at my children, I glare at them. I demand that they stop annoying each other and me.

Last weekend the girls and I went with my mom and step-dad to the local Home and Garden show. We drove about forty-five minutes to get there and once there it was packed. The girls started in about being hungry about five minutes before we got there, so you can imagine how they were after an hour of walking around.

They were driving me crazy and I felt awful for having accepted my mom’s invitation to join her to attend this because not only were my children being pests but I was also being a shrew to them. Not pleasant for anyone within earshot of us.

See, I know that kids get whiny and I wish I could just smile and assume others understand this and just let it go instead of feeling like I have to constantly correct their behavior. They were being kids. They were bored, they were hungry, they were tired. And I was awful.

This is obviously something I need to work on. I have a lot to work on these days.