Ivy Tied Up |

Mixed up ramblings of a bipolar mom to 4…

Week that will feel like a year

Monday Mar 26, 2007

I’m doing a favor for a friend. She went into the hospital and will be there a week. So I’m babysitting her 4 year old daughter. Normally no big deal right? Something friends do. Im only going to have the little girl while her father is at work. Her 6 year old brother will be at school during the day. I’ll meet the father at the bus stop in the morning (our kids ride the bus together) and I’ll get her from him, keep her all day, then return her that afternoon when the bus runs to drop our kids off.. Most of the time i wouldn’t mind. I wouldn’t think twice about it.. That’s just how I am. I’ll do for someone else because I care and because I can.. Now i’m wondering what I have gotten myself into.. Its only suppose to be a week.. I can handle a week right? What if its longer??????????

I’ve already got my hands full around here.. I like my friend alot. I enjoy her company. BUT I have kept her kids in the past.. And I swore I’d never do it again. I can handle about an hour or 2 before it starts driving me mad.. These kids have no discipline. NONE.. They have no manners. Its easy to tell who runs their house.. The kids do.. They do not respect what you say. Now.. Don’t get to thinking they are lil horrible, snot nose brats who do not mind, get everything they want and destroy everything in their path.. They aren’t.. They are pretty good kids.. BUT they have NO manners and do not listen.. They are used to having things their way at their house and their moms rules are different than mine. I run a tight ship.. if not.. This ship will sink..

Here is an example. Last time I kept the lil girl.. Her and sugar were hungry.. So I fixed them breakfast.. The lil girl before ever taking a bite tells me,” I dont want that”. I had already given them a choice.. What she wanted I didn’t have and I dont make 2 meals.. I fix ONE… you eat it or you dont.. No other choices! Well she takes a bite and then decides she isnt hungry anymore.. Fine.. She eats like a bird anyhow. I leave her plate on the table and go about my day because i imagine in 10 min she will be hungry gain.. She comes up about 15 min later and demands I feed her.. I tell her that her plate is on the table.. She said ,”NO! Take me to the store and get me something” I tell her that’s not the way things work at my house.. She says,”my momma would and she’d be mad at you” I told her i’m sorry things dont work like that at my house and that she can eat whats on the table or she can wait for lunch. So she decides she isnt eating.. less than 30 min later she is hungry again and starts whining.. At that point i tell her she hast to eat whats on the table or wait for lunch.. This goes on for 2 hours.. Then lunch time rolls around. I offer them 2 choices.. Left overs from last night or a sandwich.. She wants a pot pie.. I told her I didn’t have any left overs or a sandwich.. She says i can take her to the store.. I said NO! She yells again her momma would.. anyhow they settle on left overs.. So i fix their plates.. and they sit down to eat.. She takes a few bites then DEMANDS i carry her to subway and get her something.. Sorry lil girl that’s not how it works at my house! She goes into this long fit about how her momma would and she is going to be mad at me.. I told her that’s fine.. IF her momma is mad at me for that she doesn’t have to bring her back to my house but that I doubted her momma would be mad at me..

Then later on she proceeds to go through Sugars things and stating this outfit is hers and that is hers and she is taking them home.. Well they are both 4 years old. Both wear the same clothes.. Her mom and I shop at the same places so they have alot of the same clothes.. It took me hours to convince this lil girl she was NOT taking Sugar’s clothes with her..So then she walks to the front door opens it up and proceeds to tell me she is going outside (ITS POURING RAIN).. I walk over.. Pick her up, put her in the house and tell her she is not going to tell me what she is going to do. That in my house we ASK permission to do things and that its pouring down rain.. She gets mad and starts yelling she wants to go outside.. I put her in time out and am done with it..

About 30 min later Sugar comes up and tells me she wants the lil girl to go home.. She doesn’t like to listen to her whine and she doesn’t like her taking over everything AND she wont take a nap.. I couldn’t help but chuckle.. But really.. Sugar still needs her naps. She gets irritated when she doesn’t get some down time. Much like her mother.. She doesn’t have to sleep but she needs her down time. With this lil girl around there is no down time.. Its an uphill battle pushing a moose while in roller skates all day long.. you are constantly on your tip toes and making the lil girl stop doing that, stay put, no, no no, you cant have that, get out of that, leave that alone, we dont do that here,you cant have that, etc..

From keeping both this lil girl and her brother in the past.. I can see that they are rarely told no.. They are very used to having control. And i’m not unjustified saying this.. This isnt a case of them seeing how far they can go.. I know this because my kids have gone and stayed over there and Diva and Bug have told me how it goes over there.. There are alot of things those kids get away with that my kids would NEVER get away with.. These kids NEVER say yes ma’am, no ma’am, thank you, yes sir, etc.. They do not have the basic manners that kids should have..

This in turn drives me mad. Its a big point for me because its been grilled into my kids since they could talk.. YOU MUST HAVE MANNERS.. For your well being and others! YOU MUST HAVE MANNERS! They are important in a society that is becoming a social hazard.. Parents need to teach their kids manners and common courtesy..

So now i’m wondering what I’ve gotten myself into considering i’m going to have this little girl all week.. Can I handle it? Will I be a major wreck by the end of the week? Will this lil girl invade my space and my mind? Will I begin to dread seeing her? She also has a voice that you can only take about an hour of.. Its a really really bad whiny voice.. Even her mother admits her voice is enough to make you crazy.. Its very high pitched and whiny.. So can I make it?????

And please parents.. Even if you spoil your kids rotten, give them everything you can… The concept is really easy.. Insist that your kids have MANNERS and be respectful to others.. Manners are huge!

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On a totally un related issue.. Has anyone seen the movie Running with scissors????? It spells out dysfunction perfectly and sometimes thats totally what my life feels like!

On another note.. I totally feel like running.. Far away.. I can’t feel close right now to anyone. Its too hard.. Takes too much time and energy that i dont have.. Thats sad huh.. But really..

My husband and I were discussing divorce again the other night. He changed his mind of course.. He told me he loved me.. and asked me if I still love him.. He said he doesnt want a divorce.. I know he loves me.. But I couldnt say the same.. I dont know anymore.. People change.. I have.. He has.. He just doesnt see it.. So I dont know.. How long can you live like that???? Sad thing is.. Right now.. It doesnt bother me to feel like this.. I feel really void.. It doesnt hurt.. It doesnt feel anything.. I can look at him and feel nothing.. not a thing.. why is that????????

I feel sick alot. Sick to my stomach.. All the time.. Like I need to throw up. I have only gone through this a few times since highschool. Back then I drank alot and popped alot of pills to deal with what I was feeling.. TO stop the feelings inside me.. TO drown them out. TO make them go away. Back then.. I’d throw up to purge myself of the feelings.. . I cant do that now.. I dont want to do that now.. Why does our feelings have to make us physically sick? Isnt it enough to deal with the crap emmotionally?

3 Comments »

I hope that the little girl doesn’t disturb your household too much, Ivy. It’s amazing how much a little kid’s whining can affect your mood and emotional well being. Perhaps after being under your rules for a few days she’ll start to behave. Perhaps.

March 26th, 2007 | 12:01 pm

My Dear Ivy…It is not our feelings that makes us sick, it is not “Feeling” them, or another way to put it…not really “having” them…If you could do that…even if it just in your car alone, you will feel better, believe me.

Sounds like these are hard times at your place….I know it may be too late, but if I were you, I would tell you friend that circumstances have changed for you and you cannot take care of her little girl for that week….

I hate to give anyone advice but…Everything about what you told us in this post says: NO! You not only cannot do this, but you shouldn’t do it. This little girl is waaaaay too difficult and it not only upsets you, but Sugar, too!
And ultimately, it won’t be good for that child either….! But mostly, it is not good for you and your family—first priority here.

I don’t envy all you are going through right now…and the difficulties in your marriage, too…
Reduce all that stress, my dear….Just tell your friend you are unable to take this on at tthis time.
Good luvck, my dear, and thanks for your visit!
I hope things work out for you, Ivy.

March 26th, 2007 | 2:50 pm

Ivy, once again, how do you DO IT ALL?? :-) I couldn’t deal with that little girl, PLUS my own 4 children, and a needy husband.

Do you think relationships have ups and downs? I do…but I guess it depends on how long the “down” period is. I was married before, and I HAD to get out. I just didn’t love him anymore, and he disgusted me, does that make sense? Do you think you feel the way you do because he wants to be so close to you right now, and it’s drowning you? Just a thought, I’m probably way off base.

Do you have any medication for anxiety? It sounds like you’re having some major anxiety attacks, which SUCK. I hope you’re not losing too much weight! Do you go to a pdoc?

Wishing you all the best, Ivy! You have a heart of gold….I wish I was 1/2 a good of a person as you are.

March 26th, 2007 | 10:20 pm
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