Being a mom is HARD work! The list of responsibilities never ends! Actually, it seems like the list grows! You know the list I am talking about... wake kids up, feed them breakfast, be sure they are clean, sign the homework folder, get them to school. And even when they are away you are still living off the list of responsibilites of motherhood.....praying for them, cooking for them, cleaning sheet for them, being sure they have matching socks and clean clothes, etc.... This list can go on and on and on.
But what about that D word: DISCIPLINE. It sounds easy but really it's quite hard. This past week I spent the majority of my time repeating a few of the same phrases to my kids.. "Did you get your homework done?" "Is your room clean?" and the one that did me in this week... "Did you ask before you left the front yard?"
School has been in session for two full weeks now. And in the time, it seems that Preston Glen (the road I live on) has triple in number of how many kids live on this street. So after school, you can see nothing but kids playing ball or hide go seek or riding bikes. I must say I LOVE that about my street and I know how valuable that is. But have three children (ages range from 6-10yrs) it seems that our YARD RULES have been tested to the max. Gabe is my youngest. He is still not allowed, without special permission to go across the street to the neighbor"s yard. The other two older kids, are allowed to go play at the neighbors house...but under strict rules...
1) They must ask me before they leave
2) They must play in the yard ONLY...no going inside (unless I get a phone call or text asking them to come over)
3) Returning back home at the time agreed on
4) Not leaving that yard to attend another yard, without me knowing
5) Play nicely
So this past week, the two kids kept leaving the front yard and not telling me where they were going...and then sometimes they got permission but didn't remain where they said they would be...and sometimes they just ignored the RETURN time. So Saturday, MEAN MOMMA MANDY came out to their surprise! Both Addison and Zander broke the rules, YET AGAIN! The kids were banned to be inside on LABOR Day....their day OFF...but they didn't get the day off! Instead, Addison and Zander spent 3hours doing household chores!!! It was hard for me to do this! Why? Well, I hated telling their friends to go home but they couldn't play because they didn't follow the OUTSIDE RULES! I felt like I was embarrassingnt them, but at the same time, I wanted their friends aware that my kids had rules they HAD to follow to be allowed these privileges. Then, it was a beautiful day outside!!!! And NO HOMEWORK OR FOOTBALL PRACTICE!!! This is a RARE thing for our household in the school year! I felt so bad making them come in and do housework for half of the day when I knew they needed the play time.
But I knew I had to IMPRESS on my kids that what I said, I meant, and it can't be tested anymore! The reality of this is the rules are rules because mommy is being mean. But the rules are the rules cause mommy has an important job! God gave me the responsibility to raise them in a SAFE, LOVING, and GODLY HOME!
See, it's hard being a mom! It's hard to follow through on what you said would happen if rules weren't obeyed! I know that this is not the last time I will feel bad for doing what I know is right! I got years and years of this ahead of me....
Sure was easier when they had timeout!!! HAHA!
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