I love my kids, I just hate parenting
I’m the first to admit that I’m still figuring out how to parent, especially when it comes to my first-born. He has ADHD, and there are aspects of the condition, and the way it influences his behavior and personality, that I still don’t understand.
But every once in a while, I gain insight. I make strides. In understanding it, I mean. Not necessarily in parenting it!
Last year, I shared a post about my son’s ADHD diagnosis, and the relief it brought.
Finally, we had confirmation that our 9yo wasn’t intentionally ignoring us, willfully misbehaving, or somehow a bad kid. His brain is just wired differently, and with his diagnosis, we’ve been able to view things from a different perspective; hopefully, a more patient and understanding one.
Of course, understanding the big picture is one thing and managing my everyday reactions to his behavior is another.
Read more about ADHD and Me …
Sometimes, in the midst of parenting, it’s easy to lose track of your kids. (Figuratively speaking, of course!)
My 7-year-old and I butt heads on the regular, never more so than when we’re navigating the everyday stresses of our daily routines.
Schedules and stress and exhaustion and frustration combine to make our relationship combustible.
Parenting makes you feel a lot of things: happiness, frustration, surprise, boredom, anger, joy, exhaustion. (Is exhaustion an emotion?)
But no one really talks about how sad it can make you.
This morning, I asked Detective Munch what he wanted for breakfast. He didn’t answer me.
You see, he was already whining about the fact that I’d asked him to get dressed before eating, because that’s not the way he usually does things, so it was perfectly understandable that he also collapsed to the ground as if he’d just gotten shot and was therefore ignoring my request for his breakfast order.
Parenting is fun!