The Bright Side of Cranky Evening Time

I wrote this last week, I couldn’t publish it then as it was too raw!

On Tuesdays I usually work from home so I get to collect the kids early and give them dinner which I prepped at lunchtime.  I suppose I could take that glorious extra hour that I don’t spend commuting taking some “me-time”, but inevitably I end up working longer than normal and then rushing to collect the kids and get them home earlier than they are other days, and for them to have dinner at home on a week day.

I expect it to be wonderful. Today, sitting in traffic would have been a preferable option. It was one of those days when everyone was whinging and complaining all of the time. And I was only home an hour and a half when I stopped compiling this list of things that caused a whine since I had  gotten in the door. (They’re shared between my three children, although not equally)

1. Can I play your phone? (Answer: No)
2. Can I have the keys? (Answer: No)
3. I wanted to get into the car first.
4. He always gets in first.
5. I wanted to get out first.
6. I wanted to get out the other door
7. I don’t want to carry in my bag.
8. Why is my bag still in the car?
9. Why didn’t YOU bring in my bag?
10. I wanted that cup that he has.
11. My brother has cooler toys than me.
12. My brother has more toys than me.
13. My DS is broken.
14. He KEEPS taking my DS.
15. It’s too long ’til Christmas.
16. I wish I had no brothers and sisters.
17. I wish I was born first.
18. I don’t want basil on my chicken. (There wasn’t any).
19. Where is my dinner ?
20. My fork won’t work properly.
21. My spuds won’t sit on my fork properly.
22. I dropped my spuds.
23. He has more spuds than me.
24. The spuds are in my hair.
25. Don’t wipe my face.
26. She is at my Lego.
27. He is at my Lego.
28. They won’t let me use their Lego.
29. My milk spilled everywhere.
30. I’ve no milk.
31. I need milk.
32. Why do I have no cool toys in the attic?
33. Why isn’t Dad home yet?
34. I hurted myself.
35. She hurted me.
36. She spilled my Lego.
37. I stood on Lego.
38. Where is my Lego?
39. Don’t check my homework it’s FINE.
40. I think it looks nice that way, teacher will say it’s FINE.
41. I don’t want to watch a boy programme.
42. I don’t want to watch a girl programme.
43. I want to watch TV
44. You won’t let me do what I want.
45. I don’t want to go to bed

… Then I stopped counting or recording, or maybe I just stopped listening to the whinging from my spot in the chocolate press. I looked on the bright side, it’s a new thing I’m trying to do.

I thought great, they think I can meet their needs, we have an excellent bond.  Wonderful, they have a good moral code that is enhancing their sense of justice, clearly the result of good parenting. Fantastic, they are confident enough to express their feelings.  Wonderful, they value their belongings. Superb, they are eating their meals. Excellent, they know their own minds and are not all conforming with one another (at all, ever).

But best of all, “Hooray, it’s BEDTIME”.