Parenting is depressing.

melmax

No, not this board. And not being a parent--I love my kids and being their mom.

It's depressing when your kids (read: 3 yo) send you to h*ll and back some days and you're left with just....nothing. When they chew you up and spit you out. Like tonight when the screaming/tantruming went to an all-time high b/c she couldn't wear her summer pj's. It's too cold, and instead of giving in, I stood firm.

Do you feel like you can't win with yourself?  Somedays I think I'm being walked all over, and therefore, I need to start standing my ground more. Or, conversely, I'm saying "no" too much, and shouldn't I lighten up?  Or, I was too hard on her, or, I was too lenient with her....I wasn't fair.....no, I gave her WAY too many chances....

back and forth, and back and forth....anyone want to play ping pong?

 

SumnerBride

I feel this way every single day now that I have two!  I wish I knew what the answers were.  I'm right there with ya on this one!

wellfleet04

I totally feel that way almost daily with Kate.  Three is really hard.

But, FWIW, I would have just let her wear her summer pjs.  And then she'd be cold.  And learn her lesson.  Kate used to give me SUCH a hard time about wearing a coat.  So I stopped fighting her on it.  I put in in the car just in case, but a lot of the time she gets cold or wet because she refuses to wear her coat.  Natural consequence.

I try to only "stand my ground" on things that are truly unsafe, hurt her or other people, or are just plain rude/unacceptable (attitude, lack of manners, etc).  On stuff that she just wants to control for the sake of controling, I let her unless there is a real safety/behavior issue.  It has really cut down on the battles in our house. 

Rebekah1021

Standing firm and follow through are the worst things about parenting. I hate it so much! Audrey has no problem making me feel like the worst person in the world.

You aren't alone. (((Hugs)))

WBs_Bride

Could have written this exactly. Every night I go to bed regretting at least some part of the day and vowing to do things completely differently the next day. Then 14 different craptastic things happen the next day and again I fall asleep wondering how badly I screwed things up. Was I a total pushover or evil mom from hell? It's a vicious cycle--you are not alone!

UGAbride

Right there with ya!!  Even in the heat of the moment, I wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing sometimes, and it drives me CRAZY.  Like I will have said "no" to something, and then when he starts pitching a huge fit, I wonder if it was worth it to me???  I mean, I don't want him to walk all over me, and my reasoning to myself is that I'm trying so hard to teach him that what mama says, goes...but it doesn't work out that way a lot of the time, so I wonder if I should not say "no" so often, but then am I spoiling him?!  Ugh, definitely ping pong brain.

adri77

Really late on this....but I also totally agree with what you and the other pp's are saying.  And it's my 3 year old that kills me too.  I could have 8 of my DS2s.....he's cake.  It's my 3 year old's headstrong, impatient, stubborn, intense personality that drains the life out of me everyday.  i also feel like I spend half the day yelling, he learns/ gets nothing from it, and I go to bed feeling guilty.  He goes ape sh*t in time out.....freaks and throws everything around him.  UGGGHHHH, I could go on and on, but I'm glad I'm not alon!

OctoberBrideNYC

I could have written this post myself.  I feel like I'm doing everything wrong sometimes.  You are not alone in this.  AT ALL.  I think the 3's just really know how to test the last nerve.