There are moments in life parenting where if you can’t laugh, you will surely cry. Or run away. Or both. Today was one of those days. I’m relieved to say that it’s funny now, but at the time I was tempted to lose my sanity and cry right there in the Virgin Active car park.
Picture The Scene: 1-2-1 Swimming Lessons at the gym.
My youngest throws a tantrum in the pool during her 1-2-1 swimming lesson. Her coach is an ex-rugby player. To see a 6″ something giant swimming coach attempt to keep hold of a slipper 3 year old and eventually give up the fight and lose to ‘the plank’, is quite something to behold! Anyway … we both gave up, and so we left early.
She point blank refuses to change out of her costume and with very little will to live, I decided to let it go. So we just ran to the car with her in her costume and towel. At this point she was still crying. Not because of the swimming lessons that she suddenly decided she didn’t want to go to. Oh no. Now she is screaming for me to give her back her new shoes because she doesn’t care that she is wearing her bathing suit, she only cares that she isn’t wearing her new shoes. All of this is happening IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I sh*t you not!
Count slowly in my head …
I refuse to pander to her ridiculousness. Obviously. Instead I focused on getting us all the way over the road without getting run over. Therefore I am officially the worst mother ever.
Moving on …
We get in the car, and she is still having a major meltdown, so the eldest says to her:
“Stop crying, do you want a new mother? Mommy will leave if you don’t stop crying”!
I think to myself: So her ears do work, my frequent threats did penetrate at some point, only to be ignored?!?!
Unsurprisingly, the threenager screams even louder, wailing like an enraged fish wife!
My eldest clearly can’t take it anymore and says to her sister:
“Why are you still crying? Do you want a new mommy, or should we keep the old OLD mommy? Stop crying!!!”
Not to be a cliche or anything, but has any female ever calmed down, by being told to calm down? NOOOO … case in point, even at that age.
Unsurprisingly, the youngest started wailing even more!
I couldn’t take it anymore. I started laughing … out loud, belly laughing. Honestly, it was funny then, and it’s funny now.
Isn’t that why we have kids, so we can laugh at them?
Thank goodness that happened, I was almost about to run away. And then they would’ve had to get a new mommy!
Kids = Comedy cold, if you have a sense of humour!
But hold on, when did 35 become “old OLD”? It’s funny now
This makes me appreciate (and laugh) on the fact that my kids are not the only ones that like screaming. Best of luck to you valiant mother of two!
Ah! 35! How did I just become as close to 50yo as 20yo?! I’m IN my baby’s crib because she’s been a screamer all day and night ?.
Kids are great fun aren’t they?! Our one has pretty much whined since the second he got up! Slowly going insane… #FridayFrolics
haha … those days are a particular challenge. I think I’d take a spontaneous melt down over whining all day if I had a choice. Sadly we never do.
I’ve been there. My kids will throw a fit wherever they want. It’s a struggle!
#fridayfrolics
It’s the inconsistency that gets to me. One day swimming is fine, the next it’s not, then two weeks later it’s fine again. Make up your mind kids!
Oh the joy of a public meltdown. And a wet one at that! How do they always bounce back to quick, whereas I’m a wreck for the rest of the day?! Thanks for linking up to #FridayFrolics
Depending on my mood, and the severity of the meltdown, I either laugh my way through it (which irritates the tantruming child more), or get so wound up it takes me the rest of the day too.
Haha! I love it when my eldest tries to take charge and reason with the little one! Thanks so much for joining us for #FridayFrolics
It’s so funny. lol
Yes laughing is absolutely the only way to get through this parenting lark. As my son has autism, laughter for me is all the more important or I really will start crying when he insists on pushing the trolley in Tesco and ramming it into people shouting ‘We crashed!’ ??♀️
I really hope 35 isn’t OLD old, seeing as I’m 40 this year! This is hilarious, and basically describes my life on a daily basis over something ridiculous. My friend and I were dealing with meltdowns yesterday at a national trust place, her three year old was on her shoulders and she was pushing her one year old in a buggy and carrying three year old’s bike to placate him. He then dribbled in her hair (on purpose!) and obviously she was not impressed. But she just stood there and laughed because she thought she might cry otherwise! #ItsOK
It’s so true, it seems like the end of the world at the time! I think the reason I write quite a lot about when my children were younger is because I’m still processing the horror! #itsok
That’s the attitude we need to have to survive motherhood – we’ve got to laugh at the situations we find ourselves in sometimes otherwise we will officially go insane! Though it often isn’t so funny when it’s happening… but #itsok!