Yes, Yes they do, however they can also say very hurtful things. Sometimes they’re like mini weapons of emotional mass destruction…their target? YOU! Oh it doesn’t matter how many hours of labour you endured or whether the epidural needle hit a nerve and sent shocks down your legs. The dinosaur you stayed up late making?……screw that mammy that’s your job!!!

Why do we do it? Because the minute we seen that little blue line appear we knew we loved them no matter what, we laugh at their jokes, that really make NO sense what so ever, we catch puke in our hands, we endure more pain for them in the form of standing on a Lego stormtrooper!

The last 10 days or so have been pretty rough in Casa de expat, LPV seems to be a teenager in a 4 year olds body, it all has a very Tom Hanksy Big, Zoltar machine feel to it. Why god why do they have to grow up?

*Don’t do it Josh stay mammy’s good boy forever!!

So why this post?

I’ve just experienced my first “I hate you” even typing the words now hurt. I no he doesn’t mean it and he actually probably has no clear idea of what the word hate means, I try to avoid saying it to be honest.However when you’re exhausted and over the squabbling by 10am it hurts. I will never be one of those parents that are afraid to discipline their children, discipline and boundaries are not going to ruin their spirit, prison will do that after they’ve grown up without boundaries 😉 but there are just days where I seriously can’t take it anymore.

This is unchartered territory for me, no amount of childcare experience has prepared me for how to cope with it, you can always handle someone else’s child better, why? because you can give them back. You are not dealing with it 24/7, If I shout he shouts back, if I’m calm he just huffs and puffs over me, telling me he’s had enough of the dumb and stupid house….thanks kid! It’s hard to know if you’re doing or saying the right thing, to dumb house comment, I responded with  “would you like to live somewhere else? In a box like some children have too? And with the “I hate you” I just blew a raspberry and ran away my response was that’s a shame because I love you. The parenting minefield pretty much sucks at times.

I sternly believe that bounty packs shouldn’t contain useless trial size packets of washing power or that one ridiculous nappy, they should come with emotional protective clothing, vino and paracetamol. If I could I would blame the Dubai summer for everything but in this case it’s not actually making life easier, not being able to bring them outside to burn off energy is major factor and to be honest there is only so much soft play your sanity and wallet can take, being at home often fuels their fire.

So how do I cope with this “phase” what advice would I give my friends? We are always very good at giving advice aren’t we, we never actually take it ourselves. I’m trying to chill and pick my battles, trying not to yell, even though sometimes I feel it’s the only way I can let out my frustrations, counting to 10 is farking useless but I do it anyway but above all realising that none of us are perfect. Oh, of course when they’re good they’ll always be perfect to me, they’re my children but sometimes it’s ok to not like what they do. I’ve heard it all changes when they’re ……..30? Here’s hoping!!

*Image obtain from google images