Day 30 – is love enough?
Dear fellow captives,
What a difference a day can make. When people use that phrase it normally accompanies a pleasant and gentle sea change where spirits are lifted and the momentary ill effects of the previous day are eradicated by pleasant fair winds. Not so here. The pleasant, relaxing and engaging day before was replaced with behaviour from the depths of hell.
Nothing disastrous befell our house, don’t fret (much). But some evil cosmic force infiltrated it and made merry havoc. It must have found its way deep into teenagers souls as vile and feral behaviour exploded in the loud, aggressive venting of frustration and pure rage mainly aimed at each other with the vilifications, justification and defences screamed in parents’ faces with outrage. Sounds fun right!
As both teenagers scream at you the worst offences of their sibling with fury, you look at both their twisted faces as you physically separate the warring parties and ask yourself, why me? Do I love them enough to deal with this? And why me again?
Having read the proverbial riot act to each for different proven grievous crimes and confined them to their rooms not to engage with or dare to close the distance gap with their sibling, you retreat broken to the opposite end of the house. Husband remains glued to Netflix with noise cancelling headphones on as you glare at him with scorn for avoiding the awful confrontations infecting our bubble.
Shuddering at the thought of any more said vile behaviour you gather strength to deal with at least one teenager (go for youngest and weakest) and cross-examine child until you gain the sought after concessions that the root of the evil is Minecraft, it leads to intemperate and obnoxious behaviour when they are interrupted playing it and the new dawn will bring a better variety of healthy activities with the underlying inferred threat that if it does not all devices will be banished.
Slightly older teenager’s behaviour cannot be addressed now. It must be done calmly with enough of a break in time to lessen the still simmering rage and he has to be given activities to physically exhaust him while you gently suggest that behaviour could improve. If you address it while the rage still lies just below the surface, you will get it again. But this time it will be aimed fully at you and all of your flaws will be pointed out with accuracy and brutal honesty. I can’t handle the truth of my parenting so I aim to get said husband to deal with that tomorrow.
And as that new day begins, of course we have to deal with it while both completing a full day’s work. That said, it’s a beautiful day. While, I have a long list of urgent tasks that need to be done today I have renewed commitment to axe through them in record time so I get part of the lovely sunshine all to myself! Plus level three and takeaways any day now!
On that note of positivity, kia kaha, my lovelies, and adieu. Stay safe and remember grease and comfort food is just around the corner together with a suitable recognition to our ANZAC troops. My neighbours will see me in my jammies at the end of the drive at 6am. Lucky them!
The Silky Otter – day 29