Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Embarassment Factor

Those who know me, know the one thing that gets under my craw more than anything times ten is disrespect. Okay there is lying too, but disrespect is right up there sharing top billing.

When a person is being disrespectful to another person it is all I can do to bite my tongue. And when it is my own children, it takes a great deal of self control not to be disrespectful in my own way and thrash them right there on the spot.

Yesterday setting up for the parish breakfast the little ones tagged along to help. They have helped in the past, and have been great helpers. Yesterday was not the case. Yesterday when told to do a task, they full forced argued with me, right in front of the ten or so other people, all adults, who had calmly taken direction and scurried off to work. For some strange reason and after odd turns of event, I am in charge of these Sunday morning feedings of anywhere from 100 to 300 people. Making matters worse, I sent them off to play, which of course turned into fighting and whining. By the time I finished my tour of duty and was able to leave, my already high blood pressure was sky rocketing and the dears were asking if we could buy gum on the way home. Anger choking me, I couldn't speak.

This wasn't the first time they had embarrassed me. But after a calming 30 minute walk out in the fresh air, I told them it was the last time I would be bringing them out in public when they could easily be left at home.

So this morning they won't be working or partaking at the parish breakfast. They will serve Mass and then go straight home to have cold cereal; rotten mother that I am.

1 comment:

tammy H. said...

Not a rotten mother, just a frustrated one. Our expectations for our children are reasonable, you are doing the right thing. Sometimes they need that shock that there are consequences to bring them back to reality.