Sometimes It's Hard Being A Mom

It really is. Like today for instance. I told my foster daughters that we were going to see their great grandpa in the nursing home after school. I also told them that we wouldn't be taking their brother because he wasn't old enough to go. (Honestly I was afraid he would be WAY too wild and not listen - and afraid he might give the old people a heart attack!)

So D, my five year old, immediately started the "I'm going to see Grandpa and YOU aren't." Just really rubbing it in. Well I immediately put a stop to it (or so I thought) by telling her she WOULD NOT go to see Grandpa if she was bragging. And she stopped.

Well apparently on the way home from school she started in again. The bus driver tried to redirect her but by the time they got home B was crying and VERY upset that he couldn't go; and I was in a pickle. I SHOULD NOT have let D go to the visit...but I had already told Great Grandma that we would be coming by. :(

So I let her go, but I was very firm with her and told her since she was being such a meanie about going that she would have to go to bed 30 minutes before the other kids. And I also told her I was going to tell Grandma how disappointed I was in how she behaved. D was really crushed but was on her best behavior once we got to the visit.

Fast forward til, oh, now. We have Gracie - my little five year old sister - spending the night with us. And I reminded D that she hadn't been good earlier and had caused her brother to be very upset, and told her it was time for bed.

This child has been crying in her room for fifteen minutes. I went back, tucked her in, and explained that I wasn't sending the other kids to bed until she was asleep for 30 minutes, and that the more she cried, the longer it would take before the others came to bed.

I feel like an ogre, but she has to realize that she can't act like that - especially on the school bus. B is still very upset that he didn't get to go on the visit, but I honestly couldn't take him with me. Even though he is 4 years old he is developmentally like a 2 year old... a TERRIBLE two year old who gets into EVERYTHING the minute to take your eyes off him.

Sometiems it's just hard being a mom - especially when we have to make the children learn of consequences.