5.01.2008

aging kids

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Sometimes, I fear, I am not so good at being a mom to old kids.

Give me a baby any day of the week and I will make it laugh, and play little silly games, and hug and kiss it, and carry it all around talking and singing to it.

Then that baby turns about 5 and they kinda change. Like, in a difficult way. And I don't really know what to do with them. I can't carry them around, and their chubbiness is gone so the smooches aren't as satisfying. Also, they make more noise and give me sassiness. When it comes to playing with them, I am at a loss. They do like games and I'll play one about once a month (too many games with kids makes me feel claustrophobic).

I feed them, supervise their room cleaning, help them with their homework, read them books, drive them around, and shoo them outside. I'm not sure what else to do. They're just so big. And they can do most stuff for themselves. And they're just more bouncy and loud and bored than they used to be. And it's just that they're driving me crazy most days. And, sometimes at a moment of desperation I perform the class B page 12 paragraph 5 trick that we all learned in mother school -distract the child in any way possible.

Any ideas on what to do with big, old kids that want to hang around, annoy, and don't really keep busy with toys any more?

8 comments:

Lindsay said...

Maybe it's not because they're older that they are difficult. Maybe it's because they are boys.

Summertime Designs said...

Amen! I feel the same way about Abby right now! You probably now this but I have discovered if she has a friend around she plays 100 times better and is now constantly wanting me to be with her. Jake loves it too! That is all I've figured out so I will be checking back to see what other ideas come up! Glad it's not just me.

Summertime Designs said...

Wait this is Shanon. I am at Summer's house under her login!!!

Megan Young said...

Play the game of hide and seek and they hide and you forget to seek. It works great for at least 40 minutes of quite time. And believe it or not they do have a good time.

Megan Young said...

Okay I can spell "Quiet"!

gs said...

Well Steph, you're crossing into the 'mental' part of mothering. They start to tax your brain and the physical challenges start fading some. A little older and you can put yourself in time-out which is awesome!

[BrookeO] said...

thanks for emailing me, what a fun surprise. I love the blogging world for that reason...new friends!! Mind if I check back in?!
Cute blog, cute family, this is going to be fun.
Brooke Oldroyd

Carrie Anne said...

I'm planning on sending Rebecca to boarding school...wouldn't that be nice? I begged my sister to start one for all of the nieces and nephews.:) I only wish!:) Sorry I am not much help, but in our day, we could go outside and be out there for HOURS upon HOURS playing games with friends and roaming the neighborhood...where was my mom during all of that? Taking a nap! Oh the wisdom!:)