Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Picking My Battles...

Last Friday, I literally and very physically threw Eloise unto the school bus. This was after carrying her to the bus stop over my shoulders like a sack of potatoes whilst she kicked and hit and screamed.

Yes, my sweet, sweet, quiet Eloise.

After I threw her unto the bus I screamed at the driver to quickly close the doors and saw her sad face in the windows as they drove out of sight.

I then said a quick "bub bye" and wished her a happy day.

What was our fight that caused the 2 year old type temper tantrum in the living room - the stomping, the kicking, the screaming? I wouldn't let her wear her Hello Kitty sweatshirt to school that day - because it was in the wash as she had worn it for 6 days straight.

Okay, it was my fault in the first place for buying her the Hello Kitty sweatshirt for $12.99 at Target after a fit of not wanting to wear her Mini Boden fleece because NOBODY else wears a fleece like THAT - they all wear cheap Target fleece and she wants to look like EVERYBODY else. Sheep.

So I caved and bought her the sweatshirt and it has been the cause of daily stress and fights since.

So I said "bub bye" to the ol' HK sweatshirt that day as I threw it away. If I were a smoker and had access to a lighter, I may have just burned it at the stake in the front yard that day just to make a point.

So now I make her wear the non comforming Mini Boden sweatshirt and make an evil laughing sound as she puts it on each morning.

I mean it's not like I am making her wear a one piece snowsuit on the bus like my mom made me do in the 1st grade. Talk about holy humiliation batman.

xoxo,t

14 comments:

Heather said...

oh.my.gosh. SNORT! this is SO my life. and laughing my diet coke everywhere over "sheep".

but you are a tougher mom than i. for i certainly could not deal with the guilt and certain temper storm that would follow throwing away the HK sweatshirt.

Aunt Sandy said...

Well I was wondering when the day would come where they would want to wear "what everyone else was wearing" and wondered how you would handle it. Not so well I fear - hmmmm

amy m. said...

Hopefully Eloise is a very forgiving child....In my world clothes battles is not worth it. I think its okay for a child to be their own individuals and wear the things they like to wear. Good luck!!

Kristi Pohl said...

looks like you opened a can of worms here, dear....

Grammy said...

I think the problem may have started the "2nd" day you allowed her to wear it in a row. What a tramatic event for her knowing that one of her "favorite" articles of clothing that "she" picked out is now in the garbage. Forgive me, but lesson learned here is? Hopefully it will appear as a surprise at a later date. I'm siding with Eloise. As for the one piece snowmobile suit - I'm looking for one for myself! Do they make them heated yet?

Tracy said...

Very good points - and I DO let her wear what she wants to wear and don't want clothing battles...BUT letting her wear a very dirty sweatshirt after wearing it for 6 days straight is not okay. She can NOT wear it for one day while it gets washed. I don't care what the kids wear or where the clothing comes from - but we don't wear dirty clothing. yuck..

Tracy said...

..and she didn't pick out the sweatshirt - I did...and she told me yesterday that the MB sweatshirt is actually much warmer..lol.

Tracy said...

..oh, and wanting to wear the HK sweatshirt wasn't the issue - she can wear what she wants to wear...but when I told her "no honey, it's in the wash today" instead of calming wearing something else, she THREW herself unto the floor kicking and stomping and screaming and crying about it. The lesson learned is that you don't get what you want EVER from throwing a tantrum. EVER. EVER. Not okay behavior. ..and when I told her she would have to wear the MB one today and then HK would be available tomorrow she cried and screamed harder and when I said if you don't stop NOW then HK is gone FOREVER she then hit me. So bub bye miss HK. I always follow thru with my parenting statements to my kids and they know it. That is the lesson learned. If you think it is okay for an almost 7 year old to act like that AND to not follow through with your disipline..well bummer.

Grammy said...

Take a deep breath - relax - Everything will be ok:) REALLY - how about a glass of wine or a really nice large cup of coffee. Love YOU

Melanie said...

this reminds me of our daily kitchen tantrums. i calmly fill a sippy with nutritious milk while my 2-year-old screams (after gently placing herself on the floor), BUT I WANTED THE PINK CUP. NOT THAT ONE THE ONE WITH THE BUTTERFLIES ON IT!!! and i laugh and she says NO MOMMY IT'S NOT FUNNY! i laugh more and sip coffee and think about pouring in some jack daniels.

Rachelle said...

Not that you care one iota (is that a word?) about my opinion, but I have to say that at first I thought it was a drastic move to throw it away, but after reading your detailed account of the tantrum and the hitting, ba-bye HK. I think you did the right thing. Discipline and parenting are the hardest things we'll EVER do, I don't care what other job you may have. Parenting is not for whimps. It's so hard!

Melanie said...

I have to say that I agree with you about following through with what you have said you will do. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "You never EVER get what you want when you are screaming/whining/throwing yourself on the floor/insert your own crazy behavior here!"
Picking your battles is tricky indeed, but once you have committed, you really cannot turn back. I agree with Rachelle, parenting ain't for wimps...
Hang in there, you will live to fight another day!

Anonymous said...

I laughed my way through this post (and was frankly surprised to see the dissenting comments). Really, who wants to be a sheep?

xoxo, m

STLMommyto3 said...

Good for you, Tracy ;)

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