On Sunday morning, every week, I turn into a stress monster. For some reason, we cannot get to church on time. Church starts at 9am and we live 20 minutes away, so we should really leave the house by 8:40 if we want to get there on time. We're doing well if we leave the house by 9. Yesterday, we left at 9:15. I spent 15 minutes trying to do Headbanger's hair, getting more and more frustrated with elastics and clips and hair that would just not do what I wanted to. I was so engrossed in her hair that I failed to realize that she had unscrewed the lid to the handsoap and was spreading it all over the counter and the mirror. As I was finally getting Hairbaby into her car seat, she spat up all over my arm. It had taken so much effort to get to that stage, that I decided to ignore the spit up and just get in the car and go. I'm convinced that I get up at a reasonable time on Sunday mornings, but things never go as planned and it is REALLY hard to get Flashlight out of bed early on a Sunday. I can be a sane and relatively calm and patient person throughout the week, but by the time we are all in the car on a Sunday morning, I'm about ready to shout at everyone, including the baby. At I time when I should be focussing on the important things in life, I am seething over the time it took Flashlight to shower and the last minute diaper changes, which normally do not bother me. As I walk through the front doors I am feeling thoroughly un-Christ-like. I hate being late for church (or anything, really) and I hate that I get so stressed about it. Sunday mornings are the low point of my week. They turn me into the Crazy Lady.
Is there a time in the week that regularly sends you over the edge?
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Sunday Morning Mommy Monster
Posted by Nancy Ross at 9:52 AM
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6 comments:
Getting the kids off to school is the worst time of day. It seems like I can't get them ready in time and often I have to get them late slips! Embarrassing! I think it has to do with my family upbringing though, we were always consistently up to a couple of hours late to everything. I feel your pain.
Oh, it happens all the time! I don't go to church though, so I don't know about that, but I know I get frequently upset about the mess around the house at 6pm, and I need to turn into the Crazy Lady to make them move. Finish their dinner, get in pyjamas, brush their teeth, it can be quite a bad moment of the day. Being a mum (of 4 little ones) requires SO MUCH ENERGY. You need to anticipate 2 hours in advance until the day when they understand why they have to be on time by themselves (which hopefully happens around 7 or 8 years old, no?).
you know, it seems like no matter what time we get up on Sunday morning, we can't get to church on time either. I can manage to get my 5 year old on the school bus every weekday morning by 8:22am, but I can't get out the door in time for church. My hubby often gets up before me, too, so it's a mystery to me. If I find a good schedule, I'll pass it on...
My worst time of day is the hours between when the kids get home from school and bedtime. I actually enjoy reading to the kids in bed and helping them with their personal scripture reading and prayers, but helping with homework, preparing dinner and running the kids to and from their after school activities and trying to keep on top of the chores during that time is really stressful for me. I wish I could hire a nanny for just those three hours of the day, but then I wouldn't see my children at all. I guess it is better on the days that they don't have any activities or the days I actually use my crock pot.
Have you considered telling Flashlight how you feel and enlisting his help? It used to be that Beau Brummel wouldn't help me get the kids ready in anyway, he has since evolved. He gets the kids lunches ready and lays out their clothes, sometimes he even puts non-perishable breakfast stuff out for them. So if he does want to sleep in, he feels like he has made an effort to help. Most of the time he doesn't sleep in and we try to divide and conquer the Sunday morning stuff. Maybe he will feed the kids and I will get them dressed. Or he will get them dressed, but I will brush their teeth and do their hair. I often end up with everyone else ready but me. I just pull my hair into a messy bun (everyday hair style, sad but it is the easiest) and do my make up in the car. Our church building is 30 minutes away so that leaves me time to do my hair and make up in the car. Maybe Flashlight can drive while you get ready in the car. We have also tried taking turns sleeping in on Sunday morning while the other person gets the kids ready.
I know exactly how it feels to be a Sunday morning monster! It kind of makes me laugh because Sunday is supposed to be the "day of rest". I guess that is some of Heavenly Father's humor!
Anyway, on a serious note, my husband has been in the bishopric for the last 4 years- since my kids were 2.5 and 1. Now there are three of them 6.5, 5, and 2. It is even crazier. Luckily we have church at 12:30 this year but, in January we will be back to the 9am schedule. I think the biggest lesson I have learned in the last 4years is like Sebastian says in "The Little Mermaid". "If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself." If your husband does pitch in, you might even be 5 minutes early. If he is around on Sunday mornings (unlike mine) you need to have very specific jobs assigned, otherwise, you are counting on the other person to do something that they may not know needs to be done, as men seem to be oblivious to exactly what it takes to get a family ready and out the door for the three++ hour excursion that constitutes an LDS Sunday! And, if all else fails and you end up yelling and cursing (under your breath), I find that playing Primary songs or hymns in the car helps everyone to refocus on the Savior and why we dedicate our Sundays to the Lord. Now, go enjoy your day of "rest".
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