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Friday, July 22, 2011

Kids are really obnoxious

Okay, y'all know that I love my kids. They are a part of me - why I live and breathe every day. 

But, seriously, they are so LOUD. Loud, obnoxious and unrestrained. 

Things were so quiet when they were in California. I often talked out loud to myself when I was home alone. Just because it was so dang quiet. Not anymore! We're lucky to get a word in with each other.

Last night we were in the car and my mom was sitting in the backseat between the boys and she was plugging her years because she was getting it from both sides. Bickering and playing with each other - in just about equal parts. 

On one hand, I'm happy my kids don't feel inhibited or restrained. I want them to be able to speak freely to me, my husband and our immediate family - especially my parents. I want them to be kids and act like kids and let the creativity flow and if that means having competitions about which of them can sound more like a girl when they scream then so be it. (However, not in the freaking-ass car).

On the other hand, when they are being loud it makes it really hard to hear their parents or grandparents, it makes it impossible for us to talk to each other, and there comes a point where we cross from creative outlet to just plain ole bad manners. It's a balance. Right now I feel like we are teetering a little over on the bad manners side - maybe because they are just home from a 3 week vacation and need to figure out their boundaries at home again? I'm guessing that's it. 

In any case, I LOVE my children but they just might be the death of me this weekend until they get back in the groove. The grandparents are staying through Sunday morning and then we can get back to our normal lives.

Speaking of normal lives, we seem to have gotten into a bad sleeping pattern/night time habit with the kids. It doesn't get dark here until 10 pm. Often we don't make the kids to go to bed until 10 pm. It's summer, it's fine. But they stay up in their room screwing around, talking, playing, getting in each others beds for at least another 2 hours. It drives us crazy. At 10 pm, and definitely by 11 pm, we are ready for some adult quiet time. No obnoxious kids. 

Last night was particularly frustrating. I started getting them ready for bed at 9:30. At midnight I made one of them go sleep on our bed and, later after he had fallen asleep, my husband moved him back to his bed. But before that we had to interrupt the movie we were watching about 6 times to tell them to settle down. It was just flat-out outrageous behavior. 

So, as a result of all this, I'm considering dismantling my office, my girl sanctum, and making separate rooms for the kids. It's no longer so important to have a guest room (since my parents bought a travel trailer and will use that when they visit). The trade-off would be that I would take a room that has been traditionally a playroom/pets room and I would clean it up and re-organize my office space there. 

Con: it doesn't have a door. It's just one end of a long room. The other side of the room has the stairs up to my husband's loft office and the door to the dog run. Oh, and I wouldn't have a window facing the front of my house anymore when I'm sitting at my work station. I would have to keep a tortoise's habitat in my office.

Pro: none for me personally. The benefit of peace and quiet that would come from the boys having separate rooms is a win for the whole family though.  Oh, yeah, and I would have a tortoise in my office.

The boys are 9 & 7 years old. What do you think about giving them their own rooms? Will it be a good thing or can this be seen as giving in to their tyranny? I think the alone time would be a benefit to them. They each kind of re-group when they are alone. But would it hamper their closeness? I want them to grow up close to one another. 

Help. Please. Thank you.

2 comments:

  1. I'm right there with you. Colleen and Lauren are the female versions of your boys. We've contemplated separate rooms for them as well but can't do that until we move. Even then, Lauren is apprehensive about being alone during the night. The kids are together all the time and to know that they have their own sanctum to escape to might be a comforting thing. As far as nighttime goes, I'm planning on a queen bed for Colleen's room when the time comes and if they want to sleep together for a while longer, that's fine by me. Enjoy your tortoise! ;)

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  2. The shape of your house from the outside looks sooo cool!

    Ok so for your space, for a door, you could find a really shower curtain and then just get one of those extension rods for it, or to make it more girly how about a bead curtain :0) You know the tortoise would love it!

    As for sharing rooms, it might not be a bad idea. I grew up having my own room which was nice, and my kids each have theirs. They will spend the night together sometimes. I think they will still be close, but maybe bedtime won't be so hectic.

    We also had a separate room for their playroom, finally moved everything to their own rooms..

    Like you, I love my kids to death...but lately it has not been good with them. I'm done and spent and have no idea what else to do.

    Can't wait to see pictures of your new rooms if you go that route.

    ps....Bill and I never talk to each other at all unless it's through email. Quite annoying but we can't do it with the kids up.

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