Because I Said So .... Not just a movie title

Not only is it a leap year but also Daylight savings this past weekend. Maybe that’s why the cosmic order of things feels out of whack. Yesterday was another one of those days where if your kid had a tail, you would be tempted to jerk a knot in it. Why is it that kids seem to become more mean and disobedient after you’ve been so nice and accommodating to them. This past weekend was all about the boys and what they wanted/needed to do, much like most weekends in my life. I've been a Mom for 17 years now, and I understand that kids are programmed to test limits, explore boundaries, and try things on for size.

Most of the time, I accept this with the kind of resignation that comes from beating one's head against a metaphorical brick wall. Eventually one learns that brick is unyielding because it is brick, and that the end result of repeated blunt force trauma to the maternal psyche causes one doozy of an emotional headache.

So I roll with the punches. I answer questions that I've answered a thousand times before. I resist the urge to say "Because I'm your mother, THAT'S why". I try to encourage cooperation by respecting their need to feel that they have some control over their own lives. I give them options. I pick my battles.

But sometimes, I just want my kids to do what I say, when I say, how I say. I don’t care if they don’t see anything on the carpet that, I just want it vacuumed. I don’t care if you think that your shower looks clean enough, I want it scrubbed down, etc. etc. Lately every request is met with a why?

So once again to my dear Mom, it turns out you were right “because I said so” really is a good answer.

My sincerest apologies!