S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D!!!

Yeah so can you say STRESSED OUT!! So the phrase "TROUBLE TWOS" is no joke. There's just been a lot going on in our family and I finally had a break down the other day and it casued some horribly painful sores or ulcers in my mouth, like 5 or 6. UGHHHHH!

But I just feel like a terrible mom but I don't know what to do with Maddie. I know she isn't a bad child and that she's just the typical 2 year old but I just don't know how to handle it. It seems like nothing works. Her biggest problem is that she doesn't listen. I can tell her to do something and it's like she's laughing in my face. I have no patience. I use to feel like I was actually a patient person but all that has gone out the window. All patience GONE!!! Does anyone else feel like this out there??!!!??? Please say YES.

After my break down, I tried to think level-headed about all this. I think I know why it's like this. And of course, just like most parenting problems, I realized that it isn't really my child, and that it was ME...the parent!! I have always known that you shouldn't threaten to do something if you aren't going to act on it. But I didn't realize how much I have been doing that. I also didn't realize the cycle that I had started. The Cycle: I wake up in the morning and everyday I'm still tired and b/c I'm tired, I feel like I don't have the energy to put action into my threats so a lot of the time things go unpunished or I act on emotions which don't teach anything. So with that she still goes around acting like a crazy child which continues to drain me day after day. Where as if I would just take the time to really disipline her the correct way after a while of doing it, she'll understand what is acceptable and what isn't and we will both be happier and I'll have some energy left at the end of the day. So now this is the plan. I just hope it works and if it doesn't then I'll go back to Plan A and that was to call "SUPER NANNY". Though Jason said that she isn't bad enough for the show and that we'd have to teach her a few naughty words and a few more naughty things and well if worse comes to worse... NAHHHHH I'm just kidding but let's just pray that our new plan works. From watching Super Nanny and John & Kate + 8, I have now changed her time out spot to the rug at the front door instead of the chair in her room or even her bed at times. This way she's not tempted to get down and play or whatever and it's a neutral spot and I can keep my eye on her. The disadvantage is that now I actually have to hear her cry and I can't just close the door. But like I said, I think at the end of the day we will all be happier. Even Jason, though he isn't here throughout the day, if I'm happier, we all know that he'll be happier and less nagged at. :o) LOL

So this was just one of those blogs to vent a little and to let everyone know what it's like over on our end. And if anyone is going thru the same, just know now that you aren't alone!! And GOOD LUCK to you.