Managing stress the Vixy way

This looks about right

 

I am not very good at managing stress. Actually, I will rephrase that. I am not very consistent with managing stress.

 

Some days I am right on top of it like a cherry on a sundae. Other days I am the cherry that slides off , falls on the floor and gets squished in to the ground. Ok, maybe not that dramatic but, you get the picture.

 

Today was a mix of both. I am totally on top of all my Uni work. Two assignments due within two days of each other all but finished. The product of 6 weeks of research, synthesis and write-up. All done with children at home for school holidays, over the Christmas/New Year period and husband working crazy shifts for the last four weeks. However, the children were running around the house like feral animals, the ironing basket is overflowing and Master 6 had no clothes in his drawers. Again. My husband came home from the store to announce there were  no mushrooms (Bieber rejoiced) and no bread left either except for ‘disgusting multigrain’ (I rejoiced). I also forgot to tell him we are out of dog food. The Princess came running down the stairs screaming that she found ‘something in her hair’. Quick, look Mum. You’re not looking. No, I’m trying to cook dinner. What is it? Muuuuuuuum.  I did, however manage to get quite a nice meal on the table. No mushrooms, but delicious nonetheless. I have absolutely no idea how I did it but, it involved a lot of tears and cries of ‘Why can’t you just listen/help me/do as you’re told/stop pummeling your brother and get in the bath/shower/get off the computer and set the table’. At one stage I had to pry Master 6 off his father who was play-mocking him right before I was trying to serve up dinner. I sure hope my husband had his Father Shield on because he was the target of ‘I hate you’ this evening. I burnt the pasta. I really, truly cried as I stood there, stirring the spaghetti sauce.

 

This sums it up nicely at the moment

Master 6 refused to go to bed, citing the reason as being the strange noises coming from his bedroom (we have a resident possum who makes the most God-awful noises at night and sets the dogs off barking). He also double checked every door in the house and scoffed at me when I told him I had used monster spray in all the rooms. There is no such thing Mum, you’re silly. He continued to wander from room to room to see if anyone was willing to have a sleep-over tonight. I won.

 

I managed to knock the set top box off the stand. Bieber did well, dropping the medicine box not once, but twice. This was  in addition to Master 6 breaking yet another plate, spilling his drink all over the floor and his breakfast off the bench.

 

The Princess tripped over and fell up the stairs, gaining momentum and landing with her head just inside the front door.

 

Ever had one of those days? I had yours and mine today.

 

Things I learned about today:

 

• There is absolutely nothing wrong with toast for dinner two nights running
• The ironing is breeding
• You have to physically walk up the stairs and put clothes in the drawers, unfortunately they don’t get there by themselves ( Master 6 learned this too)
• I should cook all the meals for the week in one day and freeze them, then I can just have one day of crazy and defrost and reheat blissfully for the rest of the week
• There is no such thing as a SuperWoman
• You can’t have: it both ways, your cake and eat it too, sanity in school holidays
• Everybody in this house is nuts (including me)
• We all need to get out, A lot.
• I need a plan. I do not like plans but, I need one.
• The Princess is a drama queen (alright, I already knew that) and
• Cry loudly-people stop, look, listen and help or at least feel sorry for you

 

 

I did manage to sneak a few moments of sanity when my Canadian friend called me this morning. We chatted as I sat out on the back deck with my coffee. She always knows what to say and helps me gain perspective.

 

Thank goodness for friends

 

 

I took a deep breath this evening and looked at the the floor that needs mopping and the pile of laundry making faces at me. I haven’t taken the Christmas Tree down yet ( my Mother would have been saying that is bad luck). I need to go grocery shopping too. I decided it can all wait until the morning. I’m going out for ice cream.

 

Related articles

 

• How to be a Stress-Free Parent This Year (discomaulvi.wordpress.com)

No Xbox today for ye have sinned

There are times, as parents, we need to give  our children consequences for poor choices. This might include, but is not limited to: the withdrawal of privileges, the good old-fashioned “you’re grounded” or a time out.

In my home, the Xbox is the first sacrifice of battle. If you don’t do your chores, there is no time for playing just as if Mum doesn’t do the grocery shopping we don’t eat . Hitting your sister will get you a stint on your bed, thinking about why that is not such a good way of dealing with issues followed by a discussion on the right thing to do after you have calmed down. Going to the park without telling your mother and giving her an ulcer will guarantee you don’t go anywhere for a few days plus a lecture from Mum and a stern warning from Dad. Everyone has their assigned ‘corners’ in case a wrestling match begins that would rival any WWE event and I cannot physically referee said event at the time.

Our house at 6pm every night

My children have handed each other consequences for what they consider inappropriate behaviour in what can only be described as Judge Judy meets The Super Nanny.

It's getting like that here

These are some of the questions I have asked myself since I saw this strange phenomena appearing. How do you argue with that? Actually, is that right? Is that normal? Will that damage my children’s relationships with each other? Here are some of the behaviours I have observed this week alone:

• Master 6 emphatically justifying why he had to take the Xbox cord from Bieber ( who is 12)
• The Princess (11 years) telling Bieber he needs a time out to calm down ( and then proceeds to tell him he needs more sleep – it will improve his mood)
• Bieber telling Red (who is 7 years his senior and has just moved back home) that he should get a full-time job or Mum and Dad will cut your internet – “that’s the way it works around here you know”
• The Princess explaining to Master 6 that he needs to stop running in the house because he’s going to hurt himself or –  “you’re going to your corner”
• Bieber telling Master 6 that if he doesn’t hurry up and take his bath then he will miss out on the family movie and go to bed early

I’m just starting to wonder if they are going to set consequences for me soon.