You Are My True Love

This winter is getting long. The temperatures have been unbearable leaving my whole family to stay inside. They can’t even have recess at school. Irritation and frustration break out on a constant basis between us all.

My 5 year old son, Bency has been affected the most by the confinement. His high energy needs constant release and without the ability to run and play outside; the house has become his playground. It drives me crazy when he races and flips through the house. He screams and hollers through our small abode like a wild bandit. I’ve had to intervene and yell at him on a regular basis to protect the safety and sanity of all the innocent bystanders in our home.

After a short jaunt in his bedroom the other day after a particularly chaotic episode I told him he could come out and asked him if he thought he could behave better now. He looked at me seriously and replied, “I don’t know Mom. I’m really sorry but I was thinking of just acting better tomorrow.”

A few days later, I was reading Bency bedtime stories and tucking him in his bed for the night. I gave him a hug and kiss and told him I loved him. He said he loved me too. I asked him how much he loved me. He got a silly smirk on his face and said, “You know Mom.” I told him I didn’t know.

He then looked bashful. His eyes lit up. His lips turned up at the corners but he appeared to want to hide his smile. He shook his head in slight hesitation and said, “Mooomm…You know you are my True Love.”

My heart did a flip. I stopped dead in my tracks. These little words made my heart melt.

I was too choked up to say anything back so I just grabbed him one more time for an extra tight hug and held him until he said, “Mom, I can’t breathe.”

For a brief moment I wanted to tell him he could run through the house all he wanted. He could do a triple axle flip on the couch. He could flood the house with water and make it into a giant swimming pool. Instead I held my tongue knowing that is not what he needed. He just needed me to keep being his Mom…. guiding him to know right from wrong….teaching him new things….and loving him with all my heart.

Bency and I are really two peas in a pod. We are thinkers. We are creative. We have to be constantly busy. When we screw up our day we like to start fresh the next.

He is my True Love.

Bency and I

My Top 5 Behavior Busters for Kids Behaving Badly

By looking at this image, it appears I have well behaved children who love each other madly all of the time:

Sometimes they love giving each other hugs!

This however is not always the case. I run into plenty of instances like this too:

I don’t want my picture taken. I don’t care if it’s my 4th birthday.

I said I wanted candy for breakfast!

I have no idea why I’m crying. I just feel like crying!

Maybe if I make it look like a hug, no one will notice I am squeezing him too tight!

This is how I feel when my sister gets too close to Mom!

You are standing too close to me!

It’s my turn to use the bathroom!

So I have compiled my top 5 secrets to stop bad behavior dead in it’s tracks! I never do any of these in public for fear that I will be committed. These are strictly for the privacy of my own home. The only one who knows about any of these is my husband and sometimes I am slightly scared he will have me committed.

Dramatic Fall. You walk into the room where the scene of the bad behavior is happening. Do a slow motion spin and let yourself fall down in the most natural way possible. Keep your eyes closed. The kids will come running to your side and at this point tickle them. They will forget all about what they were just engaging in.

Witch Doctor. This song from 1958 from David Seville (the creator of The Chipmunks) is one of the catchiest songs I know. Children as little as 1 year old love this song and if you start singing they will immediately start dancing or singing along no matter what they are doing.

The Unknown Brother. Whenever the children are being too noisy and I can’t get their attention, I say “Be Quiet, you’re going to wake up your brother Johnny.” They do not have a brother Johnny. The downside on this one is that you have to finally tell them you were just joking so they don’t go tell people that mom is hiding a secret brother.

Rain Dance. Walk into the room and start dancing like you are beckoning rain. High skipping leg motions and arms flailing wildly in the air. I don’t know if this works because they are so entranced with the beauty of the dance or that they are scared I have really lost it!

Cabaret Singing. This is my favorite. I can not sing worth a darn which makes this one even funnier. When the children balk at a certain task I channel my inner Marlene Dietrich and begin singing in a sultry, smoky voice words like, “Come put your pajamas on Baby. It’s time for pajamas to come on. Mommy loves you in pajamas. Come put your pajamas on.” Again I’m sure my children comply at this point because they are scared Mommy is on the verge of nervous breakdown.