needing some encouragement from moms of multis

MrsWP

My singleton daughter is 2yrs 6mo old and has just hit the terrible twos really hard.  My twin boys are 13 months old.   So yes they are very close in age.   I remember when my dd was between 12 and 18 months and I thought I'd lose my mind between teething and getting into everything. I've always been very consistent with discipling and being structured but also have been careful to not say no to everything and give lots of love praise and attention. (not that I'm perfect by any means but I've tried very hard to find the right balance.)  If I though my dd was hard, the boys are NUTS.  Since the boys hit about 11  months life has become a big chaotic mess and I'm just trying to keep it together.   My dd is now a tantrum throwing crazy child that never existed before.   This week with daylight savings time throwing us off schedule, the weather change and some major teething my boys have been two clingy whiny little monsters.. I have been running on low patience and just hanging on by a thread.  My husband works afternoons and tonight while I was trying to get ds1 bathed  (he was flipping out because he wanted to turn the water knobs.) ds2 crawled up my back and before I could stop him he got right in the tub with all of his clothes on.  I quickly got them both bathed and let the water drain then took ds1 to the bedroom just across the hall (I can see the tub) for a quick diaper. meanwhile , ds2 tried to climb out and fell right on his face. While trying to deal with ds2, ds1 makes his way back to the bathroom and gets into a drawer (baby proofing was totally pointless for this smart little one.) and EATS my tube of MaryKay foundation. well not much actually ended up in his mouth most of it was ALL OVER HIS FRESHLY BATHED BODY!    Meanwhile my dd is yelling at me that she needs juice and every ime tell her she needs to be patient for just a few minutes she screams NO! and hits me.  That would normally be an instant time out but I honestly could not deal with another second.  Finally I turned to ds1 who was screaming because i took away the foundation and yelled right in his face to shut up. and then put them in their beds and walked out of the room! Of course I then went to the living room and cried.  Please someone tell me that I'm not the only mom who has lost her cool and that i haven't permanently damaged my relationship with my ds.

diz1313

Oh honey, don't beat yourself up too much. My DS is 4 and has been a challenge all of his short life. Che's super smart, super stubborn, very strong, and thinks any form of disciplin is a joke. I have often lost my cool and yelled in his face..... when I hit that point I always feel just horrible about it, but there is only so much a person can take. You did great with putting the kids somewhere safe and walking away before things could escalate further. When my brain has checked out I do the same thing... I back off of the situation, cool off, have a cry, come back all sweetness and light and love. As my DS has gotten older I have added explaining what went wrong with the situation and how family should act to each other and such. I am happy to report that DS has had no lasting effects from my transgressions any more than I have from his. We have a very loving relationship over all. I will say, I am terrified at how things will go once the girls are born. Hehehehee

BabyCarryingVessel

You are so not alone! I'm also running low on patience these days and I have gotten really ugly with the girls. Don't beat yourself up, I promise your son isn't going to be scarred. As you probably already know, walking away and giving yourself just 3 minutes can help you cool off.

Ylvelill

Oh dear that sounds rough. Mine are still small so I can only offer moral support. Everyone looses their cool sometimes and all you can do is take a deep breath and put it behind you. Your kiddos sound like they are great and intelligent kids so you must be doing something right.