Hi everyone!

It’s Mommy Monday!

Almost every mom I know has “cursed” their child/ren at one time or another… I mean, how could they NOT?!?

Kids can be soooooooooo frustrating sometimes.  Especially the pre-pubescent ones!

I have one of those… well, actually two… but this one particular 12-year-old of mine seems to thrive on creating chaos wherever he goes… at school… on the bus… family outings… shopping trips… appointments… cookouts…. birthday parties… and especially at HOME!

He will argue about anything… he will nag you about everything… and he will not stop until he gets his point across LOUD AND CLEAR!

He’s always right – I’m always wrong… his punishments are never fair… and, even though I’ve raised 5 children before him, he knows waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more about parenting than I could ever hope to!

His behavior isn’t anything I condone, tolerate, or encourage… and the majority of the time, it usually results in a consequence (sometimes I CAN choose my battles)…

…which of course begins the cycle all over again.

To be fair, part of this “chaos” can most certainly be attributed to any one of the many neurological “disorders” he has been diagnosed with over the years… but some of it is just plain defiance…

…and, unfortunately, a very real part of “growing up”.

Anyone who has ever raised a headstrong child knows how horrendous the tween years can be.

Thus… the mother’s “curse”!

“I HOPE ONE DAY YOU HAVE KIDS JUST LIKE YOU!!!”

And anyone who knows ME, knows that I was a FIRM believer in that “curse”… at one time anyway.

Raising my first child… Charlie… was VERY similar to raising this little “mini-Charlie”.

He was also a very headstrong, anti-authority, know-it-all type of child.  We went to war on many occasions during his tween years (and beyond!)… and, like many mothers with challenging children, I “cursed” him… A LOT.

Fortunately, he eventually grew up and grew out of that phase.  In fact, when he wasn’t fighting his demons, he was actually a LOT of fun to hang out with.

I remember the day he called to tell me that he was going to be a dad… I was thrilled!  Not just at the prospect of having another grandchild… but at the prospect of HIM finally being on the “receiving” end!

And when he told me it was TWINS, I was ECSTATIC!  All I could do was laugh… and lovingly tell him that nobody deserved it more than he did!

He just chuckled and said, “Yeah… I thought you’d get a kick out of this… that’s why I called you first”.

Since then, that “curse” has come back to haunt me MANY times over!

And now, whenever I hear a stressed out mom “cursing” their child… I cringe… and then I offer a few “words of wisdom”…

“Be careful what you wish for- because one day YOU may be raising that child!”

Recently, after a particularly trying weekend with Jimmy, I threw caution to the wind and I “cursed” him.

Apparently he has heard me offer my so-called “words of wisdom” to other moms on more than one occasion because he immediately felt the need to remind me (in his own words, of course!) of the possible “consequences” to “cursing” him.

I’m glad to know that he DOES actually listen when I talk… but the joke’s on him…

By the time HE has children of his own, I’ll be too darn old to raise them!

I hope he has TWINS…

Enjoy!

Lynn