Friday Morning Trigger

Why do kids always act so differently when they are in the care of others?

And why does it trigger me so badly?

This morning was gymnastics - Carmen does her class by herself, while Keira and I are in the parent-participation class for 2yr olds. I have found trying to juggle the two classes is less than ideal. The upside is that I am in the facility with both girls at the same time, so it fits into our schedule. There are a few downsides though - whenever Keira sees Carmen across the room, she is wont to beeline over and become part of the older kids' class. It's cute, really, that she wants to be with her big sis, even though they spend nearly every waking moment together! But it's also frustrating because it's disruptive to both classes in session. The other downside is that I feel torn between the two. I like to watch what Carmen is doing in class (especially when she turns to see if I'm watching her demonstrate a new skill she's mastered) but I also need to be present for Keira - not just to help her on the trickier stuff and cheer her on, but also to fulfill my obligation as a parent to keep my kid (sort of) in line.

Today was one of those days. I'm sick, I'm tired from lack of sleep and both girls had ingested enough oatmeal at breakfast to power the nation. Keira was EVERYWHERE, and disruptive and crazy. And if I were in a better place, it would probably have been fine... but I wasn't and at one point, I had to take a 'mommy timeout' to prevent a major meltdown on MY part! The instructor, bless her heart, saw me close to losing it and intervened. Gently guiding Keira along the balance beam, congratulating her somersaults.

And Keira? Well, of course Keira was an angel.

Obviously this is not the first time this has happened, and nor does it really surprise me. But it still doesn't make it any easier. On the plus side, we feel pretty confident that our kids will behave for anyone that is nice enough to take them! Conversely, it's a bit upsetting when you've molded your life around your kids and have spent so much time with them that they know just how to press your buttons!

So now I am going to my RMT appointment while Grandma C watches the girls (and of course they'll be perfect) and hoping to have a better outlook when I get back!