Not quite wanting to jump straight in and call it the terrible twos, I decided I would give Cooper the benefit of the doubt as the past two weeks have been pretty ridiculously crazy. Between my mother-in-law passing away, Cooper being hospitalized, mommy and daddy taking off for a couple of days to only be rudely awakened to my arrival home along with 2 additional children all within  the same hour. With all the chaos I feel I can’t get too upset with Cooper. My patience this past week has been tested and tested with Cooper’s whining and crying and food tantrums while grasping the ropes of having three kids to care for.

Yesterday was a brutal day. Everything we did he wanted us right by his side to partake in his activities. The screaming and hitting that begins to follow the let down is horrific. This is a side of my child I have never seen before. It all began after we were hospitalized, he was a perfect gem prior and it is almost as if they unleashed the two-year old tantrums for us. Learning how to communicate with a child that cannot reason is extremely difficult. Feelings of inadequacy fill my soul as I begin to feel like a horrible parent with a child that is hitting me for not getting his way. Trying to figure out what lines of discipline are appropriate for his personality and age is the challenging part.

I blame the hospital for this child that now screams and hits me because I sure don’t know what light switched got turned on or off since that wretched night. Previously, I could say his name with authority and he would look at me and instantly stop. Now a days, that means nothing to him. The battle of him learning boundaries and testing limits has been fascinating and difficult for him and I. The simply fact that a child is growing his little brain enough to understand when mommy says no doesn’t mean that he still can’t do it, is actually fascinating. Their little minds and souls are beginning to take place and explore their big and beautiful world while mommy sets limits on their big and beautiful world is now confusing. Taking the time to remember his little brain cannot process like mine, is a good reminder to help want to teach him rather than get upset.

Realizing I can’t implement perfect behavior is hard considering we really were blessed with a well-behaved child to now shaking in my boots trying to figure out if we took the wrong child home from the hospital. This cute little man can quickly wrap me around his little finger to get what he wants, but now……life has changed. Those cute little moments are not so cute anymore. The cute behavior in asking for more treats is only a sugar high that can’t be contained. Those cute little moments of wanting to play with his train table are now taking apart the track and throwing them across the room. Those cute little moments of wanting to snuggle are now anything but a snuggle! Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a doll and beyond adorable! But it’s those little moments that cloud my mind of the good times! I know he is learning, I know this is all normal for his age and development, but what I don’t know is how to not feel like a bad mom while trying to figure out what works for us!

Realizing raising my voice will only complicate the situation or scare him because I am supposed to love him and his little mind cannot separate the two and spanking is not for our household is a battle of learning what works for him. He can’t quite understand timeout but he can understand it a lot more than when I raise my voice. Having done this a couple of times, I feel horrible after knowing it accomplished nothing and ended up making me feel horrible! Ahhh– the battle of learning even more as a parent as every child responds differently.

Something about raising children simply doesn’t get the acknowledgment and respect is so deserves. Every mother out there knows what I am saying. Every man out there is oblivious to what it really takes to raise a child, implement proper behavioral skills, show love and teach respect along with all the household duties that follow. This is beyond a mans imagination and because we do it, they do not have to worry about it because it’s already done. I want to thank every mom out there for their job in raising their children and the immense pressure it takes to want to raise your child the best possible. God ingrained in women how to care and nurture for their family. He ingrained in the men how to be a hard worker and provide for their families. This is a blessing that we’ve been given and in the little moments that seem monumental, remember God gave you everything you need to make it through the next moment of bliss or tantrums.

So, with that, I will set out on my day to take the opportunity that maybe today we can take a positive step in learning our boundaries together and implementing something better today that wasn’t there yesterday.

Moment of Truth: Raising children is character building. Are you raising them to have confidence and respect, or are you teaching them how to walk all over you and get what they want because their attitude is too much sometimes that you quickly give in?