As a mother of nine kids, people often ask me,
"How on earth did you manage without any help? "
If I had to divulge one secret that I was fortunate enough to discover early in my mothering career, it would be,
"Never let them get tired and never let them get hungry."
There is a universal image stuck in our brains of a screaming toddler throwing a tantrum on the floor of a grocery store. Even best parent is reduced to a helpless victimn in these situations because
nobody as miserable and disagreeable as a hungry and irritable baby, toddler, or small child.
When I ignored the warning signs that my kids were reaching their limits of endurance, I created either a clingy, irritating wimp or a screaming monster.Then NOTHING I did or said seemed to help the situation.
I might have LOOKED like a self-sacrificing mother but I was merely acting out of a sense of self-preservation when I put my kids needs first. No time for resentment because happy and satisfied kids were worth every "sacrifice" I made. The peace was worth any compromise. "How on earth did you manage without any help? "
If I had to divulge one secret that I was fortunate enough to discover early in my mothering career, it would be,
"Never let them get tired and never let them get hungry."
There is a universal image stuck in our brains of a screaming toddler throwing a tantrum on the floor of a grocery store. Even best parent is reduced to a helpless victimn in these situations because
nobody as miserable and disagreeable as a hungry and irritable baby, toddler, or small child.
When I ignored the warning signs that my kids were reaching their limits of endurance, I created either a clingy, irritating wimp or a screaming monster.Then NOTHING I did or said seemed to help the situation.
One niece once told me that many people had given her advice when she became a new mother but the only thing she always remembered and practiced was,
"Never let them get tired and never let them get hungry."
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