Help. Little kid interrupting.

[HisHeathenHoney]

I don't mean just interrupting when I am talking. I mean, the constant barrage of demands--mom i need a snack mom hes not sharing the markers mom cut out a dinosaur for me mom i need a drink with my snack mom where is this tiny little toy that i don't pick up so i dont know where it is mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom. :eek:

The past few days for some reason they have been really, really bad about this (it does seem to go in phases). I was very crabby with them yesterday afternoon, am very crabby and have lost my temper and yelled a couple of times this morning, and summer is coming, and the thought of it fills me with dread. :( I need ideas to improve my handling of this.

I'm a SAHM and I spend a lot of time with them, we go to the park, I build legos with them, read to them, etc etc. But then just when I am thinking ok, I've spent a lot of time with you now I need to get at that dirty kitchen, they seem to think I'm at their beck and call 24/7.

Oh, and the other thing is, I tell them outright I need to get stuff done, and that's when they start fighting with each other to suck me back in. This morning DS1 was really picking on his little brother, chasing him, rarring at him, tackling him--all in supposed fun but then DS2 is screaming his head off all the time while DS1 giggles at getting such a great big reaction. (They are 3 and 5). And then I get really mad at them, esp. DS1 for the relentless harassing.

Having a very, very rough mommy morning.:(

[KayKay]

(((HHH)))

I used to "punish" my kids by telling them they weren't allowed to play with each other for X minutes. They could do whatever they wanted (books, toys, etc.) but not with each other, or with me.

Funny... they would have just moments before been at each others' throats, but taking away the priviledge seemed to help - for a little while at least.

[LucyVanPelt]

It must be the time of year. I just sent DD to her room because of the constant demand for attention and bickering with her DBs.

She started at 7 this morning with the demands. I gave her and her DB a big box to play with. They made a house out of it with a constant mom where's this where's that can I have the box cutter mom? Then the fighting began. After the fifth hour with DD screaming bloody murder because she pinched her finger in the cardboard door, I tore the box up, sent DD to her room and the DBs out to do chores.

She's napping now. The lawn is getting mowed. The pool is being put up. And I'm playing online. :D

[HisHeathenHoney]

Thanks guys....I feel better this afternoon. Normally I am very patient...I can handle pretty much anything they do except when it is just constant mom...mom....mom...mom..mom.

I've tried the 'you can't play together' thing--but they're kind of on to that one, or something. It doesn't work as well as it used to when first implemented. :rolleyes: That's the trouble. They get used to anything and then you have to think of something else. Constantly adapting, like the Borg adapting to my phaser frequency...resistance is futile....

http://bestsmileys.com/scifi/11.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/scifi/12.gif

Anyway.:rolleyes:

They have some friends over now, watching some friends' kids so they can go to a movie. If you didn't have children you might think having four boys in the house would be worse, but actually it is better. I am no longer the most interesting person in the world. I need to adjudicate some scuffles, but a lot of the time they are entertaining themselves and thoughts in my head actually have a chance to complete a synapse circuit.

Thanks for understanding my pain. :)

[latelearner]

Hey Triple H,

Yep, and then it gets worse and then it gets better and then it gets worse....its so true about their adaptibility...I just had to realize that each and every day is a separate entity onto itself and what worked yesterday (or even an HOUR ago) will not necessarily work again.

You are at the very least HEARD and yes, this too shall pass...;)