Temper Tantrums

It's true what they say: tiredness and hunger trigger temper tantrums. And I'm not talking about the kids. We usually attribute behaviours such as crying, stamping feet, and throwing fits to children, but don't we mums behave like that too sometimes? I know I do and I've passed my terrible twos stage 28 years ago!

I cry on various occasions like when I find the bathroom turned into a swimming pool. And I don't only cry because I have to squeeze all the water out, but because I frequently slip. I've had bruises on body parts I never knew I had before!

And don't you feel like crying when you've spent a half day preparing a sumptuous meal and the kids just frown at the dish and ask for nuggets? That's when a tantrum is thrown. "This is not fair! I cook all day long and you don't even appreciate my efforts to give you a healthy and balanced diet. Now you eat that or else..." The cherry on the cake? "Honey I'm not eating anything. Had lunch at work today..."
Waahhhhh!.

And the irony of it all, is that the more you feed them, the more nappies you have to change! Isn't that something worth a tear or two?

I also feel like crying when I see my kids go to school, but not because I miss them (which I do, don't get me wrong) but because I know how much restless, over tired and cranky they will be when they'll get back home.

And isn't it absurd that to tell the kids not to shout and lower theirs voices, I shout even more than them, because otherwise they don't hear me? QUIEEEET!

Now the husband has learnt to interpret the signals of an upcoming burst. It always follows the same pattern. First it's the sad, gloomy face greeting him when he comes home from work. Then it's the huffs and puffs. "What is the matter?" And here we go sulking..."I'm so tired, I never have break, I have to do everything around the house, your kids misbehaved all day, the dog is shedding fur all over the place, I've had enough...WAAHHH!"

Considering all this I'm not amazed that my kids throw tantrums. I'm amazed at the times they actually get to behave asking myself "From who did they learn this?"

How I wish someone would send me for a time-out when I misbehave! 30 minutes each time (since it's one minute per year) for 4 times a day would give me 2 hours of complete solitude and quiet.