You have 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Countdowns are big in our household. We have the infamous yelling while slowly counting down. Which is a personal favorite because it evokes fear and a timeframe. 

There is the holding my hand up with all five fingers extended and then counting down quietly, this is mostly used in public and getting down to a closed fist is not an option. 

There is the walk by countdown in which I start counting as I just walk by a room where I believe arguing is partaking. 

You can also have the 2 count, count in which you really only have to start with 1 and the child knows getting to 3 means loss of...well anything in close proximity to Mom

Counting has become our recourse because honestly it's "inappropriate" to spank and time outs are not feasible for a 10 year old, even with a dunce hat on.

I find that counting to five has actually become a strange habit for me. When I am in public I am constantly counting my children, which is five. I don't even know when I am doing it. It's almost like a strange turrets tick or Rain man scenario. 1,2,3,4,5 repeat 1,2,3,4,5 yeah yeah five, alright five. You'll see me at the pool counting to five repeatedly and then raising my hand in the air and counting backwards from five. It's no wonder people stare. Throw in a sixth child and I'm at a complete loss. 

Counting has even become a working strategy for me outside of my children. Scenario A. Person cuts me off on the road, count to five instead of chasing them home and driving by repeatedly to evoke fear (as if small woman in minivans evoke fear). Scenario B. Husband comes home and naps on the couch because he's "had a hard day at work"...count to five instead of "accidentally" spilling ice cold water on him. 

There are many upsides to this ability to count.

In the end something I learned in Preschool has really managed to help me in my day to day life. If only the other things I learned in pre-k would apply so well. Everyone could use a little more nap times, sharing and freeze dancing in my opinion at least...1,2,3,4,5 end

I hate Spongbob and his B**** Squidward

My kids have this beyond annoying habit of being incredibly active for hours at a time and then suddenly walking through the door and becoming TV zombies. I have signed them up for every activity, every camp, every sport they can partake in just to prevent them from morphing into frozen brained creatures! 

I know the "simple" solution seems like turning the TV off...however it is not. My politely asking for the TV to be turned off results in screaming, yelling and then tears, all which are mostly from me. Have you ever tried to reason with a zombie? There is no reasoning with empty!

My kids are only even home for a couple hours per day. They run around as soon as they walk through the door completing all of their chores and then simultaneously jump on the couch and zone out into some atrocious show about dance offs, or kids that live on a cruise ship...which btw where are these kids parents? Why does icarly live with her brother? Who is a complete idiot? Why are kids on a cruise ship with a weird British man who obviously hates children? What are the cable networks trying to infringe upon our children? Who writes these shows and why are they allowed to?

I digress...TV is for me. TV is my only, repeat only, escape during summer. I get to zone out while watching grown woman throw drinks in each others faces. I cannot have this disdain against my baby, my first love, my toshiba!

Alas, until summer is over and we joyfully return the chaos back to school my TV and I will part...for quiet sanity...but like all true loves we will meet again in that little slice of Heaven I call September...

The path...

As I go through my life I often wonder how my experiences are affecting those around me. Are my children happy? Do they feel that they have a good childhood? Will I truly ever know?

I guess you never really do know how your life impacts others, especially your children...unless they grow up and tell you they hate you but I don't think any of us are wishing for that revelation...

I know that my children have a better childhood than I did, not because my Mom didn't love me but because she didn't love herself (sounds cheesy but true). I sometimes wonder what could have been however would that have led me to here?

I truly don't know many Mom's who parent the same as their Mom's. I find that a lot of the Mom's I know, myself included, parent the opposite of their childhoods. Does that mean I will have children that have small families, may never get married, or *gasp* daughters that work outside the home? Maybe. I don't really know why most of my friends chose their paths but I chose mine because I knew that my Mom wanted to stay home with us but couldn't. My Mom wanted a big family for herself but wasn't able. I didn't make choices against her choices...but as she would have wanted her path to be...while still choosing my path


I wont discover my true parenting skills until my kids are a little more grown and have to make life choices. In the end, in regard to myself, I feel most of my life choices were good. I chose a man that loves me, I never found myself in an addiction, I have genuine friends and I try very hard to be a good Mom and to be happy. I think that's enough...if not more than...

Do you feel you parent the same or opposite of your upbringing and why?