I’ve been on solo parent duty the last two days while Hubby travels to a conference for work. I went into my solo parent duty overtired, stressed, and hormonal. Not a good combo….but somehow I made it through the shuffle of daily tasks with three kids (because I always just do). Add in a playdate for one, early checkout for an other’s anxious trip to the dentist, all while attempting to potty train a two year old, annnd I was in a spectacular mood for the homework battle.

As I’ve said in previous posts, homework has been just that – a battle. Various plans were attempted, and we seem to have found one that would stick around for awhile with good results. However, insert the variable of Daddy being away, and you get an edgy atmosphere for homework. I. Was trying. To get through the day. To finish all the running around and the appointments, to get laundry done because half the family were out of pants, to make a sit-down meal for the kids, to deal with the Buzz Lightyear underwear that got themselves stinked the moment I let my guard down…baths for three and bedtime looming over my head. Enter, the homework battle.

J was irritable and arguing the moment I suggested we get some of the homework out of the way. There was stomping and grumbling and some yelling. I was over my limit and threw the pencil. Lovely. I then put myself in a time out in the bathroom, plugging my ears while J danced around the idea of having an explosion in the kitchen. Then something really amazing happened.

I came out and stood at the counter with my eyes closed, taking a few deep breaths. J was a scowling, growling tiger. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was trying to calm down, because I was very tired and frustrated. I muttered that I wished I was someplace else. He said, “That’s a good idea. Sometimes I do breaths like this *deeply in and out* And if I concentrate really hard I can pretend I am somewhere else…..see?” …continue reading