Amelia started school earlier this month and had been looking forward to it for weeks. She was kind of chucked straight in at the deep end with full days - first day was great and then each day after that getting progressively worse (I don't think she realised she had to go every day). Sadly the same could be said of Will.
The first week he point blank refused to eat his lunch because, and I quote, he had "No one to play with!", couple that with a chest infection, and mummy's little angel is getting twice as much attention as he would usually, and is twice as grumpy.
We'd had a couple of tantrums because he was tired, but nothing major, so when he finished his course of antibiotics last Wednesday, and was already starting to get back to his normal self, I decided a trip to the park after collecting Amelia would be a good idea. WRONG!
It's also where most children and parents seem to go straight afterwards for a quick socialising session before heading home for tea.
Basically.... My facebook status that evening read as follows:
Sooooo what do you do when you're three years old and your mum tells you to stop playing on a concrete skate park....
Do you....
a) have to be told three times,
b) have to be dragged away kicking and screaming,
c) hit your mum twice in the arm, followed by a punch to the leg and a whack to the face.
The answer is......
d) all the above!!
Your prize?
Being carried home kicking and screaming over an angry mummy's shoulder, 5 minutes on the naughty step, an early night and confiscation of all toy space guns, robots, Spider-man & Ben 10 DVDs and other related items, a pirate sword, grabber, batman mask and Spider-Man suit.
I was mortified! Even the big burly man entering the park as we were leaving wouldn't even look me in the eye as I declared "You do NOT hit your mummy!!"
All the while Will's screaming "GET OFF ME!! PUT ME DOWN!!" and people are looking at me as if I am abducting him! I wouldn't mind, but I'd of quite happily have paid someone to take him off my hands at that very moment!
The mixture of embarrassment and frustration was so overwhelming, that as soon as I got in and deposited him on 'THE STEP', I burst into tears!
What must I have looked like? Did people suddenly think I hit my children because he lashed out at me or did they understand? Did I overreact? Was I being too over protective? Was I the only one with a three year old who was as
stubborn as a bull and unwilling to listen to reason? Why is there no manual to being a parent? How do I play good cop bad cop when there's only one of me?
WHY ME?
I even considered eBaying him later, but apparently its illegal and frowned upon! I'm sure I read about a woman who was arrested for such a thing, and I just don't think I could do prison. It's not really my scene.
His reaction to being told NO stressed me out so much for the rest of the week, that I hardly ate, cried a lot and spent the weekend drinking wine and tequila and looking forward to him starting pre-school the following Monday - I should probably point out that my children were with their father at this point and not fending for themselves whilst I was drinking my woes away! I actually very rarely have a drink with my children in the house.
What would you have done? Do you think I did over react or did I act accordingly? WHY ISN'T THERE A MANUAL???