i can't seem to stop shouting at my kids today

[Sugarmagnolia]

DH is away this weekend, which normally I cope with ok. But he's hardly been home the last two weeks before this trip so I feel I've been coping on my own for a while now. Although he's the one who's been working all hours and running around like crazy and under a lot of physical strain, I think I'm feeling the emotional strain. So anyway, every time I think we're having an ok time (the kids and I), one of them - or both of them - does something and I just lose it.

DS hits DD - I shout
DS bites DD (he's always so good too - don't know why he's doing it and why now???) - I shout
DD ignores me when I ask her (15 zillion times) to tidy her room - I shout
DD throws her duvet on the floor instead of tidying her room- I shout some more
DD & DS argue with each other. I try to ignore it. DD & DS come whining to me about each other. I ask them to sort it out and give me 5 minutes to get dressed but they follow me like little whiny, irritating midges. - I shout and shout and shout.

I hate being like this and I hate my children having to put up with me like this but I can't seem to get it under control today.

Only an hour to go until bedtime, but what if tomorrow is the same?

Hi Sugarmagnolia. You seem tired and in need of a rest, and are in the unfortunate position of there not being one on the horizon to give you something to hang in there for. Try to give yourself a mental rest ? let go of feeling bad about shouting. Use the energy instead to give all of you as good a day tomorrow as you can manage ? and that will be good enough. I'd guess DS is being naughty cos he's picked up you're wound up and it's winding him up. Is there anything you can do that would be a change from the usual for you all tomorrow, to distract them from the squabbles? A park with lots of kids and a lido to keep them cool? I feel like this sometimes with just one... Hope you're feeling better, and drinking a big glass of wine now they're in bed!

yes, BIG glass of wine will help.
i was like this with my 2 yesterday, some days i can cope with any dramas with them but some days I just get wound up and end up shouting. it makes me feel like shit as i know that when i shout ds1 gets more aggresive and then it spirals a bit.
i feel like that when dh is away on business or working late a lot.
things will be better tomorrow lovey, just try to let it wash over you. let them argue and after a while they get bored. sorry, crap advice. hope gets better.

thanks guys. feeling a bit better this morning - I don't know why seeing as I got woken up the first time by DD at 5:30 because she couldn't find her favourite teddy. And then at 6:30 by DS - who, having climbed into bed with DD - was screaming that he wanted said teddy. When I tried to take him away/distract him/offer alternatives he just screamed. It took half an hour to calm him down and yet this morning I didn't shout. I'm exhausted this morning ( I REALLLLLYY wanted to stay in bed) but feeling calmer. I will try and take them out to a park later. Maybe even a picnic if I can get my act together and make one. Thanks for the suggestion Roshni.

Hope you had a good weekend Sugar.

Had a day like this myself, culminating in me having a massive benny at teatime because the kids were banging their cutlery and I had a mega headache, asked them to stop (nicely) a number of times and when they didn't I roared at them and confiscated their cutlery and told them to eat with their fingers

Personally I reconcile these occasions with the fact that we all have our off days and they need to kow people have their limits and can snap at times but will return to their former selves.

Hi again. Thanks for asking Roshni. Well, I did manage to control my temper a lot better but it was a looonnnng weekend. I have tried talking to them about their behaviour, talking to them about how they are feeling, using time-outs, taking away toys, turning off the tv - all instead of shouting - and their behaviour still seems just as bad. I don't feel as guilty as i did when I was shouting but I still don't feel great. At least during the week I get a few hours away from them each day (while I'm meant to be working - not chatting on MN!!!)

Westcountrylass - that sounds like a perfectly reasonable reaction to me - my only worry would be they would enjoy the punishment so much they would try to do it every night.