This is contemporaneous record of a power struggle that really got my goat. (As I read it now, I think I've had worse. But it reflects the great dilemma of how to handle disobedient children.) I wrote it down because I think some of the frustrating parenting moments should be documented so that I don't forget that it's hard and tell my kids I don't understand why their kids aren't perfect, as mine were.
In sacrament meeting today (11/5/23), I tried to give some lip balm to Bear because her lips were so dry. She didn't like the kind I gave her and refused to put it on and just sat there holding it. Ever asked her for it. Wren wouldn't give it to Ever "because she would make it even more disgusting," and she wouldn't give it back to me. I told her it didn't matter if Ever made it more disgusting because she wasn't using it anyway, and either use it and give it to Ever or just give it to Ever or me. She wouldn't give it to anyone. She wouldn't let me take it out of her hand. She just had to win the battle. It made me so irate that I moved away from her, down past Tiny and Jim on the pew. I want my kids to listen to me. I think they should obey me because I am the parent. In the olden days, parents just beat their kids. Now it's all about "gentle parenting," and I just can't figure it out.
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