NO ONE TOLD ME THERE WOULD BE SO MUCH CRYING AND WHINING

Before I was a parent, no one told me there would be so much crying and whining involved. Some of it my own. It started almost immediately the day I gave birth to my firstborn. After spending thirty-two hours trying to stifle my own cries I was wheeled off to rest. The wails of some screaming infant could be heard all the way down the hospital corridors through the closed doors of my hospital room. Could that be my cute little Thomas? It certainly was and now fourteen years after starting my journey as a parent, I'm still listening to various snifflings, whinings and wailings.

To tell you the truth I've found it quite surprising. Before kids, I was living under the illusion that kids cried for good reasons. Now I realize that a good reason may be that they fear the bathtub drain may suck them down. Or that the tag on their shirt is scratchy. Or that the sound of a garbage bag being shaken out is scarey. Or numerous other seemingly innocent events that are actually quite sinister.

Another illusion I had was that when a parent said no, it meant no. It isn't supposed to mean cry your heart out and whine for hours. Okay, I am exaggerating a bit, but I did think you only had to deal with a few minor tantrums. Once the kids know you mean business, they just become like little lumps of clay waiting to be moulded into whatever you want, right? It only takes a couple of "no's" before they fall into line, right? It doesn't take six or seven years of constant work to mould their personalities, right?

Well, my bubble has been burst and I am now living in reality. Reality really isn't so bad. I'm getting used to the crying and whining just at the stage that I don't hear quite so much of it. Erin is no longer scared that she will be sucked down the drain. Thomas is brave enough to stand up to garbage bags and Sarah just cuts the tags out of her shirts. My kids have learned that no means no, unless there is a certain quaver in my voice that only they can detect. I've learned to say no without that quaver in my voice when I really mean business.

We've come a long way baby!