by Sarah Williams of Urban Parent

Whoa – there’s nothing like the triple whammy of a post time-change, post-Halloween, Monday morning!!

It actually started out ok. Outfits chosen without much fuss, hair brushed and braided without much complaining and shouts of delight when they were able to pick out a small Halloween treat to put in their lunch bag.

Then it all fell apart.

One took too much oatmeal, the other wouldn’t move her chair – the little things that are certainly not worth arguing about, let alone pinching or pushing. But there they were, my darling daughter’s in a fight about nothing and every comment bringing on more and more pokes and pinches from each of them.

Of course I yelled a bit myself and gave them a mini-lecture on being nice to each other, choosing words over pinching and more. The same general conversation I seem to have with them every few weeks.  I used the Halloween treat in their lunch bag as my leverage which seemed to work and left them to talk it over while I went upstairs to get dressed.

I wasn’t even in my room when they were at it again. “Mommy, she poked me”….”well, she started it” bellowing from the kitchen.

Needless to say, the little pack of swedish berries and mini-mars bar are still sitting on our kitchen counter and the walk to school was filled with tears, apologies and promises to be nice forever!

“This is going to be the worst day EVER”

“Practically everyone else in the entire school is going to have a treat in their bag”

“Can we not take one tomorrow instead?” (my personal favourite!)

As hard as it was – cause I’m normally a bit of a softy – I stuck it out and kissed their tear-stained faces as they scuffed into school.

Of course, I’ve spent the rest of the day feeling super guilty. Wondering if they were in fact, the only kids without a treat in their bag. Wondering if it really would be their worst day ever. Wondering if it even worked or would they be back in the ring with each other again tonight. Oh my. Why do we do this to ourselves??

I guess only time will tell – an hour in fact until school’s out so stay tuned. Until then, I’ll be drowning my guilt with some of the very treats that started this all in the first place!

 

Sarah Williams has two young daugthers, one husband, a laundry pile that’s bigger than her to-do list and a guilty pleasure stash of red licorice to keep her happy and sane.