I Blame The Mucinex

I did something naughty this morning.

No, not that kind of naughty, but naughty all the same.

I left my three oldest at home alone. To prove a point.

Ok, so not really at home alone, but I did back out of the driveway and shut the garage door on them as they came screaming out of the house.

Here's the thing. The fact that I repeat things to my children, on average, 72 times before they actually listen to me is DRIVING. ME. MAD. I do everything in my power not to raise my voice or get angry and in turn they reward me by ignoring everything I say. So this morning, after I had asked them SEVEN times to get in the car and no one had moved an inch, I left.

I calmly loaded Austin into his carseat, put him in the car, came back inside for my phone and left. I was at the end of the driveway before they realized what was happening and came running out of the house in total panic. I waited for the garage door to shut completely and then I sat, in my cul-de-sac, sipping my Pero and waiting for my lesson to sink in.

After a minute or two I opened the door and all three of them were standing in the garage sobbing. Well, Spence wasn't crying but he looked rather ticked. Once they got in the car, I calmly had a conversation with them about what is expected and why they better start listening to me.

I think it worked. We'll see.

The thing is that they are old enough to know what needs to happen in the morning to get us out the door to school. They know what time we need to leave, they know how to read a clock, they know that I shouldn't have to put their shoes and socks on. They know. And nothing frustrates me more than being ignored, which is exactly what they are doing. I don't want to be a screaming mama but it often feels like it's the only thing that gets their attention. It's so perverse.

I'm anxious to see how tomorrow goes or if their ears will be better attuned to me this afternoon. And I'm thankful to not have neighbors at the moment so no one could report me to CPS.