Having a Threenager

I have 3 kids so its fair to say I have experienced my fair share of temper tantrums and alike with each sibling learning from the ones before them, children can be incredibly manipulative, deceptive and know just when to push the right buttons at the right time for example in a crowded grocery store, or when you are in a rush to get out the door.

I have been through it all but threenagers are honestly the worst.

You see I naively hoped that because Jesse was an absolute angelic wonder in his twos that we would be ok, that we had escaped, to be honest Gabriel was an angel until 6 but Loghan well Loghan was a monkey from the start so I thought hey we’ve had our share right mother nature couldn’t possible be that much of a ......

But I was wrong, case in point a little while back, Jesse asked me for a naartjie so I peeled one for him and no sooner than I had placed it on the table than Jesse let out a wail and screech of epic proportions, I was a deer caught in the headlights and he sensed my fear!

I asked him what was wrong, cut it he squealed like an orange, my jaw fell to the floor.

Baby it is a naartjie you cannot cut it like an orange but this only made him throw himself down on the floor and wail even louder.... I was alone with the kids, supper was burning, I was in trouble, if my hubby had been home that naartjie would have been cut he would have found away... he is the nice parent when it comes to Jesse and Gabriel those monkeys get away with more than they should.... I on the other hand am the bad mommy and so I did what all bad mommies do, I made an executive decision, fight or flight.... I stepped over him and walked away to the kitchen to make supper, he wailed louder and then got up and attempted to hang onto my leg, I carried on through the wails and then as if by magic he walked away and you know what he ate that dam naartjie all the while murmuring naughty mommy don’t cut my orange.... I know you aren’t supposed to laugh but seriously....

I cannot say all my threenager moments are like this there have been times when I have wanted to throw myself on the floor beside him and cry and yell and throw things, times when I have given in because I have literally felt so bad... because they do that you know, they look at you with those baby doll eyes and tremoring lip and you end up feeling like the worst parent in the world and then you give in and they walk away smiling and you could kick yourself for giving in to that manipulation.

People expect the terrible twos but the 3's are a hidden secret, kept silent in the hopes that people will still feel the need to procreate because you know you can handle it at 2 for a year but add in the threenagers and the loathsome fours and people start to back away slowly thinking that it may not be such a good idea after all.

I love my kids, they are absolute monkeys but I love them, here is to hoping that I get some sort of peace in my household before they go to college, a year or two maybe its not to much to ask really =)