Validation

This video is perhaps greatest thing that Youtube has ever brought to the public eye.



Yesterday I texted the hubbs around 3:30 and said, "Today is one of those days where I haven't had enough interaction with people who aren't screaming demands at me.   Please plan on a game night."  The hubbs is one of those good people who listens and worries when I say things like that so last night after the kids were in bed and the dishes were done we played board games. Then we snuggled on the couch and the hubbs just let me talk.  And I did.  A lot.  I talked about how hard it is to spend a whole day working very diligently at something that shows no immediate rewards and that I don't get to share with anyone.  And I told him silly things that only I know about our kids (like how Noah likes to be breathed on.  If he's fidgety and fussy and you hold him so that the breath coming out of your nose hits the top of his head he calms down). But mostly I just continued to talk about how hard it is to spend a whole day working very diligently at something that shows no immediate rewards and that I don't get to share with anyone (over and over).  

The rest of the world may find it amusing when I tell them that now when Claire yells out a demand and I say, "is that way of asking going to help you get what you want?" She puts her hands on her hips and says, "Do you think Please would help?" but the rest of the world doesn't recognize it as a major victory and an outcome of a little work and whole lot of patience on my part.

Where does a stay at home mom find validation?  In how her kids turn out?  No. In the number of hours she spends planning learning activities?  No.  In her method of discipline or scheduling or the number of hours of TV her kids watch?  No.  In the number of tantrums her kids throw per day? I certainly hope not or I am doomed.

I don't really know the answer.  \