Lesson # 2,999,001. Parenting or Threatening.

On most days, I would call my time in the realms of motherhood as joyful, happy, exciting, and exactly what I wanted. On the other days, I wonder what I did wrong in my parenting to exude so much bantering, bickering, and fighting between my two wonderful twin girls. They are beautiful in every way and love each other - I am certain.

They began spats the moment they could sit up on their own and scoot themselves across the floor. In fact, I clearly remember one of my girls, the day she learned to sit-up, successfully taking all of her sisters rattles away and putting them in her own lap. In my attempt to find some way of dealing with their now four year old fights, I often hear myself say something like this, "If you don't stop fighting with each other, I'm going to have to separate you. " or my favorite, "If you can't get along, you both have to go into time-out". This week, I found myself in another twin war zone, the Yes you are and No I'm not banter that can go on longer than when a vegetable is added to the dinnertime meal. Again, my comment to them was, "You need to stop, or we walk out of this store right now".

My 2,999,001 lesson came after the end of another long day of the same banter and fights that and ensued the day before. It wasn't a slap or an epiphany, just the clear realization that I had put my hands on my hips way too many times. I wasn't teaching, or parenting, I was taking the easy way out. Luckily, tomorrow is another day, and I am still a parent. For every threat I make, I make two girls who can't get along and the surety of another fight. Tomorrow I won't threaten, I will parent and teach. What would you do? I'm a learning, growing parent - this won't be my only lesson learned. Stay tuned. YYYYYYYYYYYY