Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Not my idea of a good workout

it's from fadiddle
This afternoon I had to jam one tantrumming kid under each arm and physically haul them out of day care and into the car. That’s 70 total pounds of screaming, flailing child.

That sucked. They screamed all the way home and then I had to repeat the performance to get them from the car into the house.

I have read, edited, and written hundreds of articles about child development and discipline. I know about positive reinforcement, natural consequences, distracting with humor, choosing your battles. I know all the strategies for preventing meltdowns.

They do me no good whatsoever when I just need to GET IN THE DAMN CAR.

12 comments:

Movin Mom said...

I loved that you tagged this Mom of the Year!

Sometimes you just gotta say, "I'm leaving!"
...and then leave.....go sit in the car and start it up!!

I know I know.....this will cause therapy and feelings of abandonment but you only have to do it once or twice an then the next time THEY KNOW......

Lady M said...

You are one fit Mama! I don't know if I could have wrestled two. Sometimes the only consolation is to know that it will make a good blog post.

Christina said...

OK, you win Mom of the Year just for being able to carry two kids at the same time while they're both having a tantrum. I can barely hang onto my squirmy toddler when she's mad.

Anonymous said...

I wonder all the time when I'm doing that with one, how the hell you do that with two. Im glad to know it's possible. I hope they were extra good this AM to make up for it..

Bon said...

oooh, i like the yoga poster.

and i think i need to start working out before O hits tantrum age.

Anonymous said...

I am glad to know that I am not the only mama out there that has issues like this.

I try to read the books, but I find they don't help me much. =(
Hope today is better!

tommie said...

linked to you from movin' mom....

I have two under three and have done the very same thing! In fact, I don't look anything like my first one...at the park one day, a snotty mom said, "If my nanny treated my son like that, she would be fired!"...Nope, I am not the nanny to this blue eyed blond hair child...just a mother of the year nominee!

Unknown said...

I bet your arms are b-u-f, BUFF!

BlondeMomBlog (Jamie) said...

I have a hard enough time with my 27 pound 2-year-old who often refuses with all her might to be strapped into the car seat. Not fun. But two simultaneous tantrums? That's enough to send anyone over the edge!

Love that poster. I bet you needed some meditative breathing, or a good strong drink, after this! ;)

Magpie said...

I have a hard enough time wrestling one sometimes! I can't imagine two.

Mrs. Wheezer said...

Impressive! The wrestling two screaming girls into car seats isn't fun, but I really hate to drive while the screaming fits continue... The only times I'm really at risk for road rage is when I have screaming in stereo erupting from the back seats.

MamaMaven said...

I think you can also count that as a work-out. Its bad when they both gang up on you.