Is there an equation ?

"Sophie"


My 5 yr old has been microwaving her own popcorn and warm chocolate milk
for
at least the last 6 months. I think Ian is not giving his 8 yr old enough
credit, or space and opportunity, to try these things. Wow, talk about
having everything done for you. Can I move in - lol?



Did you know C could do her own popcorn? I had no idea Emily knew how to do
it and it freaked me out when I came downstairs after my shower and her and
Katie were eating a bag of popcorn. I knew she could do milk and hot
cocoa.. I guess I just didn't think about other possibilities.

Ian wrote:


I get a taste when my kids has friends over. The noise and mess level goes
up about 200%. Constant "He did this" and "she did that"

I usually get a break when my daughter has friends over. The noise
level goes down and the mess level remains the same. As for the
arguing, I let them resolve their differences - kids over 3 can do so
without adult intervention.

I get more trouble
from the kids with siblings. I thought kids with siblings would know how to
share, get along, but I have had my eyes opened. Maybe I live on a street of
brats, but they seem like normal kids to me. No wonder their Moms send them
over so often, they need the break!


Again, I let them resolve their differences. If they come to me, I tell
them to work it out themselves.

I am not knocking anyone with more than one kid. I just couldn't live with
it 24/7. The demands, financial and otherwise of just one are more than
enough for me. To be honest I have no idea how people cope with more than
one. I`d love more, but I would be a wreck.


I thought the same way - until I had DS. Two is more of an effort, but
not really that much more. I do have it easier in that there's five
years between them - during the day, DD goes to school while DS and I
remain at home. The financial hit was the biggest - I quit my job (40%
less income), but you pretty much live on what you have and adjust.
Actually the house is cleaner and more organized because I'm at home and
I can do things like grocery shopping and picking up and vacuuming
during the weekdays.


Why not be honest to the OP? 2, 3 kids ARE more work than one.

Yes, more kids may be more work, but the amount of work each additional
child brings is probably less and less.

Jeanne

"Ian" wrote in message
...
How does your 5 year old get their own cereal? Do they
have a stool for the counter or something? Does it not end
up all over the place. I am sure it would be that way if my
8 yr old tried it!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I think you are overly babying
your 8 year old. My TWO year old can get her own cereal, for pete's
sake. Yes kids make messes as they are learning a new skill, but they
are never going to learn anything by not doing it. If you'd encourage
your child to be more independent by being more accepting of mis-steps
along the way you'd probably find things a lot easier a lot sooner.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 9 mo.
And Jaden, 4 months

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

In article ,
"Sophie" wrote:

Its not dangerous, we just cant really sleep properly when he is up. And
he
is too short to reach the counter to get cereal.

Step stool?


You have no friends who can babysit?

Yes, but I really don't want to be returning the favor so I don't ask.
Most
of my friends have little kids, or more than one.


Yeah and you don't want to watch more than one, right? Nice.



I don't have a problem with someone who knows their limits: he says he
doesn't ask friends to babysit, because he doesn't want to return the
favor. That's just an honest thing -- not rude in any way.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

"Ian" wrote:


So get a babysitter. He's 8, hire a teenager. Its not like he needs
mass
amounts of supervision. I live 2500+ miles away from my closest
relative.
Make friends with your neighbors and swap babysitting for a couple
hours.

Whats the point of hiring a babysitter for the evening when you still have
to be up at 7am? I am also not comforable with the idea of some teen being
in my house alone. I was a teen babysitter once...

You don't trust others. Fine. Live with that fact and stop
complaining so much.

And why do you still need to wake up on the weekends? My 5 year old is
perfectly capable of getting her own cereal and turning cartoons on
Saturday
mornings.

I am not comfortable with my child being up alone. He gets up, so one of
us
gets up. Besides its hard to sleep with the TV blaring anyway. Ive tried
it.
You cant have a proper rest when they are up.

One can be awake while the other sleeps a bit, and vice
versa on another day. There isn't any reason that two adults
need to stand over an eight year old 24/7.

How does your 5 year old get their own cereal? Do they have a stool for
the
counter or something? Does it not end up all over the place. I am sure it
would be that way if my 8 yr old tried it!

Perhaps it's because he's never been taught how to do it right?

I'm teaching my two year old how to fill the cat dishes with food.
Pouring cereal is pretty similar, though the box is to big to handle
at this point. Still, it shouldn't be far off. It's amazing what kids
can learn when an effort is made to teach them.


P. Tierney

"dragonlady" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Sophie" wrote:

Its not dangerous, we just cant really sleep properly when he is up.
And
he
is too short to reach the counter to get cereal.

Step stool?


You have no friends who can babysit?

Yes, but I really don't want to be returning the favor so I don't ask.
Most
of my friends have little kids, or more than one.


Yeah and you don't want to watch more than one, right? Nice.



I don't have a problem with someone who knows their limits: he says he
doesn't ask friends to babysit, because he doesn't want to return the
favor. That's just an honest thing -- not rude in any way.



Well if he's not willing to compromise something, hire a babysitter, swap
babysitting does he honestly have a right to make himself look like some
sort of martyr?

"Denise Anderson" wrote in message
...

"Sophie"


My 5 yr old has been microwaving her own popcorn and warm chocolate milk
for
at least the last 6 months. I think Ian is not giving his 8 yr old
enough
credit, or space and opportunity, to try these things. Wow, talk about
having everything done for you. Can I move in - lol?



Did you know C could do her own popcorn? I had no idea Emily knew how to
do
it and it freaked me out when I came downstairs after my shower and her
and
Katie were eating a bag of popcorn. I knew she could do milk and hot
cocoa.. I guess I just didn't think about other possibilities.

Yeah I showed her how. It's easy - she just presses the popcorn button
twice - lol.

Dylan did not know though, came back from Iraq quite surprised at the little
things the kiss could do. Communication was so bad that I think I forgot to
tell him little things like that. He told her off the first time she made
her milk, didn't realize she knew how.

"Sophie" wrote in message
...

Its not dangerous, we just cant really sleep properly when he is up. And
he
is too short to reach the counter to get cereal.

Step stool?

Or put it at a lower location before everyone goes
to bed.


P. Tierney

"Jenn" wrote:

so much of this once basic needs are covered is about attitude -- what
you make of your life -- and a full time mom school age child and
breadwinner family seems to offer pretty good opportunities for bliss to
me

Bingo.


P. Tierney

"Sophie" wrote in message
...

"Denise Anderson" wrote in message
news:1FARb.12131


The SGLI always looks mighty fine right around 6 months into one of DH's
deployments. BG



LOL! So glad to know someone else jokes about that!

Well that and my marine boyfriend that lives here when he's deployed