Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Solo parenting

This is going to be a rough week. B is in Santa Fe, NM seeing specialists about his severe neck problems. He left yesterday and doesn’t get home until Saturday. It’s going to be all I can do to get the kids up and fed and out in the mornings – and this morning I failed at the feeding portion of the list. It was my day to work in Campbell’s preschool class, which means we have to get there early to set up. When we got to school, Campbell looked at me and said, “Momom! I never had breakfast!” I was in such a hurry to get out the door that I forgot to feed my own son. That’s some winning parenting right there. I rummaged through the school kitchen and rounded up left-over snack stuff for him, which he then refused to eat.

I don’t know how single parents do this. The constant whining, asking, needing are what wear me down. There are only so many times I can applaud Ella’s magic trick before I’m ready to hand her off to someone else for a while. And there are only so many times I can answer Campbell’s zillion questions.

I’ve told the big girls that if they behave and are extra helpful this week, we’ll get hermit crabs as pets. I bought some last week for Campbell’s class, and we were all fascinated by them. The bribe is working on Ella and Lily, but not so much on the little two. Campbell is choosing not to listen to anything I say, and Elizabeth opted not to nap this afternoon.

I’m worn out, and it’s only day two.

Someone send in reinforcements – or wine – please.

6 comments:

joanna said...

Ack! I think about how single parents manage all the time. Sam wants to be read his books, James his. On the nights Greg works late it is so trying and I feel guilty about giving more attention to one over the other. Also, it's not just single parents, but parents of, say, 4 kids that amaze me! Go HOK! Serenity Now!

Unknown said...

Bribery is one of my favorite parenting tools!! Hugs to you

Alexandra said...

They'll be good. They love you. Plus, it's exciting to have dad gone.

xo

jennyp said...

You'll make it! I am not a big breakfast person, so I love that the schools here always have free breakfast - that way I don't have to worry about it.

Remember that hermit crabs can climb. We have had one escape before, which is icky - on many levels.

Baino said...

Wine cures all . . trust me . .I'm a single parent!

Joan said...

Wine is better than a guy any day. And I'm married to the best of guys...Wine does not have underwear that he/she CANNOT see on the bathroom floor. Wine can turn out a light once in a while. Wine can remember which day the trash man comes.