Lynda Loveland: OMG! So this is how it feels!

I had a bit of a parenting epiphany this week.

As you’ve probably seen in many of my posts, my husband and I have been working really hard on misbehavior and discipline in our home … with our kids, not each other. It’s been very stressful at times and lots of ups and downs but, it’s starting to pay off!

I used to dread taking all three kids out anywhere by myself. Keeping them all together and controlled was a sweaty job. (Not like I was sweatin’ all over the place but when your body temperature goes up and you get a little hot under the collar). I just tried to avoid it at all costs. I wanted to wait them out until they got a little older and settled down a bit.

Earlier this week, I had to take them all to the library. My son was getting some tutoring and, the way it worked out, I had to take everyone. Normally, I spend the hour working, actually accomplishing something. But this time I was dreading it. I thought the girls would distract my son and he would start misbehaving. I was worried the girls would be loud and all over the place.

The reality was my son worked hard the whole time, as he’s been doing, the girls were good and I got my work done!!!

My husband worked late that night, so on the way home I told the kids they needed to do x, y and z so we could eat dinner, do chores, clean up and get to bed on time. And I’ll be darned if they didn’t do it!

It’s not like I changed anything. It’s as though it finally clicked. It was the first time I wasn’t stressed and I enjoyed our evening! Everyone worked together and it felt fantastic! I thought, wow, so this is what a functional family feels like!!!

I don’t expect it to happen every night, but it sure was nice to get a taste of it.