This is just to say

[rivka]

Michael does a hell of a lot of housework and childcare. I have plenty of friends whose domestic burdens would not be appreciably increased if their husbands were out of commission, but I am not one of them.

Also there is only so long that I can tolerate a four-year-old who is unwilling to settle for being the center of attention less than 100% of the time. To the extent that she shoves her face in the baby's face to distract him from nursing. And throws "I HATE PLAYING ALONE!!!!" tantrums if asked to play by herself for five freaking minutes.

And our house is a pit.

And Colin is getting another cold (I don't think it's the flu) and I just had to make extensive use of saline nose drops and the bulb syringe. As I've had cause to say before, if my children put me in a substandard nursing home when I am old it will be because of that damned snotsucker.

I remind myself firmly that getting the flu myself would not be as relaxing as it seems from my current vantage point.

Comments

[riarambles.livejournal.com]

Does Alex have any toys or games that she is only allowed to play with when she is playing quietly by herself? Maybe that would motivate her.

I hope you all feel better soon!

[tea-dragon.livejournal.com]

No good advice, just sympathy. I remember that stage, and it sucked.

[ailbhe]

Ugh. You'd have more fun poking yourself in the eye with a stick.

Does a request/suggestion to play something specific meet with the same response as a general request to bog off and stop draining every last drop of patience go play by herself?

[laurarey.livejournal.com]

I wish I lived closer. I'd certainly be willing to offer some help. I'm afraid the most I can do is send you good, health-full thoughts and prayers.

[browse.livejournal.com]

My father was fond of saying, "Do you know where children get all their energy? They suck it out of every living adult in the room!"

You have my every sympathy. It's exhausting to even contemplate.

[txobserver.livejournal.com]

Two words: STEP Parenting. I-messages. Natural and logical consequences. Consistency in the face of anything. I was a relatively old first-time parent (37) with a demanding job and had a child described by her pre-school teacher as 50,000 megawatts of pure power. I was sick of the way I lost my temper, and spent a lot of time angry at the child I had prayed to have for years. STEP Parenting saved my life. My now-grown, recently married daughter and her younger sister remember a lot of it and are believers too.

[juthwara.livejournal.com]

Aargh. That sounds just awful. I hope everyone starts to feel better soon.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

I remind myself firmly that getting the flu myself would not be as relaxing as it seems from my current vantage point.

no, but you'd be so busy wishing that if the flu was going to kill you that it just hurry up and do it that you wouldn't notice?

[namedphoenix.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. Good luck getting through it. And a speedy recovery for Michael!

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

The CK really only learned to play alone in the past year. At four, he really sucked at it. There were no tantrums, thankfully, but he was just kind of ... always asking for attention. Like, you'd say "Okay, you hang out there, I'm gonna go pee," and he'd be at the bathroom door two minutes later asking you something or telling you something. The only time he didn't need to constantly be the centre of attention was when watching TV. It was enough to start me re-thinking my TV policy (no TV except for family movies).

It gets easier, though I'm pretty sure that's not much comfort now.

[obafugakum.livejournal.com]

damn snot sucker. I was inappropriately relieved when the goat learned how to pick her nose.