2001-05-07
So what's this about tell everyone about Diaryland day? I would be glad to help but then people I know might find my diary and read all the mean things I write about them. I guess I could tell people I don't know about Diaryland but they might find me somewhat strange.
Several times a day my daughter tells me "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend Anymore". I guess it's better than the preceding "I Don't Want to be Your Daughter Anymore". I have trouble telling her that I don't mind because I don't want to be friends with someone who is rude to me, yells at me, scolds me and says hurtful things to me. This never changes her mind.
I'd like to speak with the person who coined the term "Terrible Two's". What were they thinking? What kind of kids did they have? I used to say that really it was "The Terrible One and a Half's to Four". That was when Four was sweet. The first few weeks of Four were fabulous. Now she's taken everything she's learned since one and a half and combined it with her near-adult Four-year-old logic. This I tell you is close to torture or hell. This feels quite devilish a statement. But I am tired. Everyone cannot love being a parent all the time.
I'm dodging landmines. It's hard not to adapt my behaviours to the fact that she may blow at any time. I battle her on 90% of things I ask her to do. This takes a lot of energy and creates a lot of frustration. Eating, Bathing, Getting Dressed and Getting Ready to Go in the Car are the give-ins. Then there are minor side battles. Like the "No you can't go out and ride your bike in the pouring rain with only gumboots and a tiara on".
I think she is trying to assert her independance. I am totally OK with that. It would be better if she wanted to do productive or rational things on her own.
I used to feel badly that sometimes I thought parenting sucked. Somehow we are made to believe that everything must be perfectly happy all the time. And if it's not perfectly happy we are to make it that or enjoy the fact that it is miserable.
If anyone has a career they love there are some days that they would rather stay in bed, or go shopping. There are some days that they go home early because they feel lazy. There are some days that they get angry over things they shouldn't or get frustrated with their co-workers.
Parenting is a job.
