I'm crying and can't stop, I'm shit at coping

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

It's not all to do with DS, but it triggered it. We had to cancel his birthday outing because he refused to get onto the bus (bloody London bus drivers are far from sympathetic too which doesn't help)

We got back home soaking wet and as I was changing DD he put my shoes into the washing machine and set it going. They are the only flat shoes I have so I'll have to struggle in heels all weekend.

He just said 'sorry mummy' and then cracked DD hard on her head with the tv remote.

All my lovely visions of his birthday are reduced to crap.

You have my complete sympathy. I can imagine DS1 doing any or all of those things under similar circumstances.

Birthdays and other days when things are a bit different always have the potential to go majorly belly up. It's DS1's 5th birthday on Monday and MIL sent us his woollies vouchers that she'd bought weeks ago so we could go spend them while there were still shops open with actual stock in them. Before we left to go to the same shops we go to at the same time every single Saturday, we had a lengthy diatribe about him not wanting anything new and only wanting old. He was fine when we got there and realised what those words coming out of our mouths actually meant - that he could actually buy the big packs of Matchbox cars he loves drooling over!

We're having no big parties for him - just close family coming for a bit of tea and some chocolate cake - and he's simply taking a bag of home made biccies to school that he'll hopefully have helped me to decorate. Nice and simple and low key. We've learnt that from bitter experience!

Oh - and those really annoying days - we call them Ebay days!

Hope you feel better today.

If its any consolation at all, i had quite a few years where i didnt like DS1 at all, of course i loved him to bits (and still do!) but his behaviour made it very hard for ANYONE to like him - including his mum!!!

DS5 had a brilliant birthday last year (his 2nd) - we were all very ill (D&V) and it was very quiet and sedate in the house... he loved it! He looked calm and happy, could play gently opening a few presents in his own time, and didnt once have to find a 'quiet place' to recoup.

Im so sorry that his birthday didnt go according to plan, BUT it was salvaged by a few balloons and a chill. My guess is that he had a very happy birthday afternoon. with cake too!

hope your day is better today. XXX