Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Changing attitudes

It's been a quiet few weeks around here. Quiet as in nothing is going on. We've all been sick off and on so it makes getting out and doing things a bit difficult. I think we may be starting to feel a bit better. I'm still battling sore throats, migraines, and fatigue, but I try to ignore it all and try to make each day fun for my kids. Am I succeeding? I'm not sure. I think things have been better this week than they have in a long time. Logan's refusal to nap has subsided and his bedtime tantrums have ceased. I don't know what happened to him, but for a few weeks he was a bit of a monster. But now that he's getting the sleep he needs, he's been much more pleasant to be around.

I finally came to the conclusion that I was putting too much on myself and expecting the impossible. (Actually, Sam so lovingly pointed it out to me. ;) ) Seriously, I was becoming a maniac, always expecting the house to be clean, the kids to be on their best behavior all the time, dinners to be perfect...now that I'm back to reality I often wonder "What in the world was I thinking?!" I'm not perfect, my house is not perfect, my kids are not perfect. Accepting that has made things almost perfect. It's a lot less stressful around here. There is more laughter in the house than there are tantrums and that is always a blessing.

I've come up with things to do with the kids on a daily basis so that we can get out of the house at least once a day. That helps tremendously! Changing the way I view things has really helped. Sure the kids can be monsters every now and then, but they're kids. And let's face it, as an adult, I have my moments too. But changing the way I react or think about things has really helped get through each day. I think the main thing for me is to keep the kids busy. The day goes by so much better when we're busy. Now, if spring/summer would just make its appearance so we can go to parks and play outdoors, the kids and I would be extremely happy.

2 comments:

Ben and Cortney said...

It is hard work what you are doing, making a conscience decision to change perspective is not easy. I am so happy that you posted this, I believe most people do not think that they have a choice in how they see things. They don't think that they have many choices about most things in life, which is sad. If they understood that maybe they would be happier. I am at a cross roads right now myself with all the bad news from this last week, and I need to be making some similar choices. Good job Christine! Love you!

Kristy said...

Good for you! I don't know why we put so much pressure on ourselves but we sure do. I'm glad that you're letting go of some things and that you're regaining some of your sanity because of it. I find it's a constant battle to just let the dishes sit in the sink and play with OP when E is sleeping, but I know for a fact that I'm not going to look back on my life and wish my house had been cleaner! Good luck to you!