Coffee, Caramel & Cream

Happy 2013!

I hope everyone had an amazing month filled with family, friends, and so much love your body ran out of hugs and kisses.

On to the new year!

I was never one to make New Year's resolutions, but I'm going to make one this year. What I have in mind is going to be difficult, I know .... but so important to me, especially since it involves my 2 daughters ( ages 2 and 4). So here it is....

This year I will try my very hardest to do "less yelling, more teaching."

Let me explain...

I work from home. And my girls are not in daycare. So that means that I am a full time stay at home mom, while I work from home 25-30 hours a week (not including this blog). Now when a lot of people hear that phrase they probably picture me in my jammies all day drinking coffee, talking to friends on the phone with daytime TV blasting in the background. Let me assure you, that is far from my day. Being at home all day with a 2 and 4- year- old is like running in a hamster wheel. You run, run, run, and never seem to make much of a dent in anything. (Didn't I just clean up the living room 20 minutes ago? Where are your pants?)

 I need to work at my desk (which is currently in my bedroom) usually when my girls are napping. It's impossible to get any paperwork done while they are awake and running around. If they don't nap long enough I need to wait until after dinner when my husband is at home, to go upstairs and work at my desk more. If I don't get done, then I work through my weekends since my husband is home. Top that off with keeping my house clean/ picked up/ laundry done and put away/ healthy meals 3 times a day and you have yourself a very crazed Angela.

Please don't get me wrong, I am eternally grateful to have the job I do and really like it! But most days I feel like there just needs to be way more than 24 hours in a day. I'm overwhelmed.

My fuse has become short with my precious girls.

I recognize this and HATE it. I don't want to yell at them. I want to teach them. I've always said that my main goal with my daughters is to guide them to be good people. I don't mind if they don't get straight "A"s in school. I care more about their interactions with their teachers and classmates. I want them to be polite, compassionate, kind, grateful and respectful. Admittedly this is no easy task when dealing with children. I had a hard time getting my very tired 4-year-old to even say "thank you" to my aunt for having us over for dinner on New Years.

This is crucial to me. I want them to be kind and respectful. They only way they will learn that is for me to be kind and respectful to them. Right now I am ashamed to say that I don't think I always am. When it takes me asking Hailey 15 times to go brush her teeth,  or asking Sadie for the 20th time to come over to me so I can wipe her runny nose, I wish I could say that I stay calm and firm.

I don't.

I yell, I get aggravated, and even whiny (great example for them, right?) 

                                                 

So this year, I resolve to keep my cool with my girls. I will remember that they are only tiny humans.  I can be firm without yelling. I can do this. I will be a good example for them.

They are my gifts from God and I love them with every breath I have in me. They deserve more from me.

Less YELLING, more teaching.... got that, Angela?



Did you make a New Year's resolution? I'd love to hear it  :-)