I hate it! It is mostly my job here and not shared by the man of the home. He is a big help around here but not so much with enforcement of work, behavior choices, follow through on requests. You know, that yucky stuff.
I hate to nag. I hate to have that sort or relationship with my children where I am constantly asking them to do things. It is so not fun. And because we have made the decision to home school I feel like I experience more than families who choose school. It is my all-day, every day.
This weekend I asked for a day off. I had to leave or lock myself in my bedroom. I had been home alone with the girls for five days and I just wanted to be void of responsibility. Do any other moms ever feel that way? You love your kids and your family but you just want a day off from the work of the job?
Even the other day, when dad was home, and I had run out to do a few errands, the girls called me on the phone to ask their question. Dad was somewhere around the yard. I 'think' that's fairly common among families. They need more practice with daddy.
I 'try' different ideas to eliminate the nagging. My favorite is lists. We do lists on the white board in the playroom. School wise each girl has a planner with their daily responsibilities. I may also be the mother of two forgetful children. It makes it even more frustrating. Frequently they go upstairs and forget what they are supposed to have done by the time they make it up the twelve stairs between me and their bedrooms. The lists are nice because it removes me from their work. Big C and little c know what's expected of them and what needs to be completed for the fun of the day to begin. It's almost easier if they have their lists and I leave. If not, I find myself judging their process and feeling frustrated in their approach to getting the lists done. Going up and done the stairs four times to brush teeth, bring clothes upstairs, grab a library book that needs to be returned seems inefficient to me. Really though, what matters is that the work gets done. How they do it really is their own dealio.
I am also trying to reintroduce something I learned about when the girls were in their ECFE classes. That fabulous concept of natural consequences. For example, if we need to leave the house by a specific time and you haven't gathered your sunglasses you may have to suffer from squinting at the park. Or if you forget your water bottle after I have reminded you; well you might be thirsty. Nothing that will kill the girls though! A little thirst, a little headache from squinting.
Time blocking work makes them more focused and productive. The other evening I told the girls dessert would be served at 6:30 only if they were downstairs having showered and put away their laundry before that time. One child made it in the nick of time. The other, not so. And sadly only one daughter got to partake in dessert. I hope the other daughter will remember mom means business and to hurry herself along a little more next time.
Motherhood is definitely a job. Especially if you want to do it right and raise capable, responsible children. And sometimes the mom needs a day off!
The mom at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore, after walking in the rain for miles. It was a really nice day off :-)
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