Wednesday, December 29, 2010

That Girl sure knows how to Try my Patience!

Before Christmas I wrote about Kayla and my “Mother to Daughter” talk.  We have been working hard on our relationship while at the same time trying to nip the attitude and back talking in the bud! 

November 2010 206

I wrote Kayla a letter two days before Christmas.  It was the first official day of Christmas Break and I had already had enough and was counting down when to go back to school.  Yea, it was really that bad.  My head was throbbing, a tension headache.  It was just one of those days!

I had set out to clean house, rearrange the den {for my Christmas gift}, wash clothes and just get the house ready so that I could sit and relax and focus on Christmas.  I ask Kayla to unload the dish washer, one of her two chores and she quickly replied “I’m cleaning my room”.  I told her as much as she needed to clean her room, I was cleaning the kitchen at that moment and needed her to do her chore.  She fussed and did it.  That is when it occurred to me that although we all “live” in the house, I am the only one to clean it.  What would happen if I just cleaned my bedroom?  I ask her that and she said it would be a mess.  Exactly.

She went on about her business cleaning her room while I finished up mopping floors and wiping down bathroom sinks.  I finally had a moment to sit and relax.  What happens?  The kids are off to the den to play.  Why is it that they go play in there right after I clean it all up?!  I digress. 

I ask the girls to do something and she started with her attitude, complaining and doing whatever it was that I ask.  And it continued.  She back talked at the kitchen table after dinner and I literally cried.

I sat down at that moment and wrote her a letter.  Wonder why you can write a letter so much easier than you can talk to somebody?  Anyways.  I wrote her how I felt.  How I felt when she was talking back and copping her attitude.  How I felt about cleaning the house without any help and that she is perfectly capable of lending a helping hand. 

She wrote one back stating she’d try this time for real.  I’ll let y’all know what has happened. 

1 comment:

Kelli said...

What are we going to do with my sweet girl. We've have to work on Miss Jamison as well lately...it's so hard, but we'll have to keep trying. I hope it goes well and she truly puts forth the effort that I know she can do. Hang in there mama.