Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Parenting in Synch [updated]

You all have been there. When one parent says one thing and the other parent says another to a child. When a kid tries to play one parent against the other.

Oh the HEADACHE!

This morning, the Princess was tired. T-I-R-E-D!

Hubs: Princess. Princess, if you don't get ready then you won't go to Y camp!

The Princess got up. The Princess got ready. I thought all was fine. But she had some issues with tying her shoelaces. It just wasn't going well. She couldn't get it tight.

A MELTDOWN occurred.

She got out of the car. I ended up giving her a little "love" tap on her behind.

Princess: I'm telling!
Me: Okay. Go ahead. Who you going to tell?
Princess: I'm telling DADDY!
Me: Oh, you are?
Princess: YES!
Me: Okay. You go ahead and do that tonight when Daddy comes home.
Princess: BUT...Daddy said that if I don't get ready then I won't go to Y camp!
Me: Well, you look ready to me.
Princess: I'm NOT! I don't want to go! I want to stay home!

Oh yeah. It was a pretty scene this morning. It's now 12:50pm and the Princess is not home. She's at Y camp. She was pouty and had red eyes from her crying outburst. But she went. Reluctantly.

I'm sure once I was gone that she cheered up. I've seen these outbursts before. She's just tired. I know her too well. She always has fun once I'm out of the picture. She does. She got to ride a horse yesterday. On Monday, they did the rock-climbing wall. It's a good time up at the camp.

And she is NOT staying home with me all summer. She's going to Y camp every other week. She's been home enough with me full time for me to know her limits. She can go just a couple days before she's houdning me every hour.

Princess: MOM? WHAT can I DO NOW? I'm BORED!

Yes. That's exactly what she says to me. She's got art stuff. She's got books. She's got workbooks. But she's bored. Yeah....she is NOT staying home ALL summer. Nope. Not happening.

So once I got home from dropping her off? I called the Hubs and relayed the incident to him. I told him what NOT to say. This way we're both working together on the same path to get the day going. We need to work together...not apart. [sigh]



*********updated*****************

It's now 4:30pm. I've got lasagna in the oven for dinner. Rolls are ready for warming once the Hubs gets home.

The kids? They are upstairs playing.

The Princess? She was fine and dandy when we picked her up at the Y an hour ago. She ran up to me when she saw me near the pool. She ran up and gave me a BIG hug. Once she released me, she gave me a big smile and started to tell me about her day.

Once we were in the car on the way home, she apologized for her behavior earlier today.

She's a good girl. She is. My Princess.

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