I have three children very close together in age, all boys. Things have got tougher and tougher over the last 2 years and it has got to the point that I truly believe I am the worst parent. I shout, I bribe, I lock myself in the bathroom to get away from them. They fight all the time. They wind each other up. They ignore me. They take things off each other. Any activity I set up for them ends in fighting and tears, so I have pretty much stopped setting things up which results in boredom which itself brings it's own problems. A vicious circle. We live abroad and the children are on school holidays and we are three weeks in and I am at breaking point. I am everything I hoped I would not be as a parent. My patience ran out a couple of years ago and I have no reserves. I even ditched the reward chart last week because it painted such a bleak picture. I can't wait for them to go back to school. I take them out places but find controlling them hard. Keeping an eye on, and control of, three so young when I only have one set of eyes and a pair of hands is a challenge and exhausting. It's like herding cats.
When they are with other people they behave and with Daddy they are MUCH better than when they are with me. They are not bad kids, but unless I entertain them all day life is pretty miserable. Their mission seems to be to pull my strings and push my buttons and deep breaths only work for me for a few hours.
I am bright, but whatever I do doesn't seem to work. I had two under control. Three is a total nightmare! Why do they fight ALL THE TIME? Where have I gone wrong? I've lost perspective. I used to have a career. Now I can barely string a sentence together.
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Three sons 3, 4, 5 driving me mad. I'm losing it.
19 replies
CiaraD · 09/07/2008 17:42
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KerryMum ·
09/07/2008 19:08
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KerryMum ·
09/07/2008 19:09
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KerryMum ·
09/07/2008 19:12
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