My Bad Temper And Feeling Guilty

I lost my temper this morning.

Yesterday the school had sent a letter home saying the teachers would be on strike today, and there would be no school. So I let my daughter stay up a half hour later than usual. However, early this morning I found out that teacher's were no longer going on strike and that students were expected to go to school. 

Sidney was really tired when I woke her up, and disappointed because I made the mistake of telling her last night she was going to get to stay home today. This made for a really cranky little girl. She was giving me attitude, whipping her shirt in my face while I tried to dress her and screaming at me. 

I completely lost my temper. No matter what I said or tried I couldn't get her to listen or treat me with respect. 

She ended up being late for school, and we parted angry and upset with one another. This is the first time I have sent her off to school feeling that way and now I don't feel angry, just childish and sick to my stomach. I feel so guilty, and unworthy of forgiveness. I'm the parent here, right? Why didn't I act like it? 

I definitely need to refresh my memory on how to deal with this type of behaviour properly, and push my own tiredness away the next time.

In the mean time though, I get to pick Sidney up in ten minutes and all I want to do is hug her so tight, and never let her go and to apologize over and over again.

Does anyone else ever have days like this? Do other parents lose their temper, and feel quilty afterwards?

Thanks,

9 Teen Mom Stereotypes, Part Three

7-9 Teen Mom Stereotypes

Stereotype: “a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly”

This is Part 3 of my list of 9 Teen Mom Stereotypes. You can read 1-3 here, and 4-6 here.

Teen Mom's Families Disown Them

It was during pregnancy that my family and I grew closer. I began to respect my mom more, and looked up to her as a role model. I started spending time with my family, and they quickly became my support system.

My mom was thrilled to help me with Sidney. My dad was proud to be a grandfather. They all believed in me, and that I could still succeed.

Same goes for my friends who were teen moms.

I’m not saying there aren’t teen moms who have been disowned, because there are probably a lot. I just don’t know any, personally.

Teen moms are too immature and inexperienced to properly raise a child

Okay, okay, so maybe I was immature and inexperienced when I got pregnant but by the time Sidney was born I was a whole new person.

I never thought I could become the person that I did. I never knew I had that in me. I went through my high school days thinking I was insignificant, stupid and worthless. Sidney gave me a reason for living, a reason to succeed and motivated me to become a better person.

I’ve noticed this in a lot of my friends. After they found out they were pregnant they changed their entire lives around. If they weren’t already responsible and experienced they quickly became those things.

Teen moms on welfare are lazy

I had to go on welfare once. It really sucked because the amount of money they give you is barely anything. You can’t even afford an apartment unless it’s a grungy bachelor apartment, or you’re lucky enough to stay with family or friends. I was fortunate enough to move back in with my parents and pay them rent, otherwise I don’t know what I would have done!

Teen moms on welfare are more motivated, because who wants to live off $900 a month when the average two bedroom apartment costs $850? Unless you’re fortunate enough to get a subsidized apartment or townhouse (which is a two year waiting list, on average), you’re screwed.

However, welfare helps young mothers graduate high school, puts them in work training programs and gives them resources to become successful. They also point you in the direction to get any other type of assistance you need whether it’s diapers, baby clothes, Christmas gifts, or food. It's a good option when you don't have any others, and most of the young mothers I know who have been, or are on welfare have taken advantage of these programs and were able to find better employment.

Yes, I’m sure some young mothers cheat the system (in fact I know some do), but so do a lot of other people.

Teen moms are just like any other person in society. Some are good, some are bad. Some will graduate high school, some won’t. Some will continue to post-secondary, others won’t. Some will become rich, others will remain in poverty. Some will stay with their baby’s daddy, others will split up. You can say the same things about any type of person, no matter what their situation is or their age.

And to be perfectly honest, before I became a teen mom myself I had a lot of misinterpreted assumptions of them, too.

What’s your opinion on teen moms?

Thanks,

This is Not a Bragging Blog

Sidney at the Library - 2010

I've been following blogs for a while now. One of the topics I like to read about is parenting. However, I find that there are a lot of parenting blogs written by mothers who just talk about how perfect their lives, themselves and their children are. Whether their posts are honest or they only write about the good stuff (most likely), those blogs from time to time leave me in a bad mood and make me feel insignificant as a mother. Other times I do stumble upon great advice and good ideas, so they’re not all bad lol.

Well, this is not one of those blogs. 

I’m just an honest person, writing my experiences as a young mom. I’m someone who makes mistakes and most of the time learns from them. I struggle as a mother every day, wondering if each decision made is the right one.

• I’m an impatient person, 
• especially when we’re running late (which is often). 
• I forget things, 
• I accidentally break promises, 
• I lose my temper, 
• I get depressed,
• I let my daughter eat junk food 
• and sometimes we get bored and go stir-crazy.

Do these things make me a bad person, or worse a bad mother?

I sometimes feel that they do.

• But I also sit down and do crafts, 
• take Sidney to the library, 
• the movie theatre, 
• the museum 
• and community events. 

We go on nature walks and discuss the different things we see. I have taught her to love animals, and respect them. She listens and behaves (most of the time) when we’re out shopping, or at a restaurant. She’s an excellent student who loves to draw and write. All her classmates and teachers adore her, as well as family and friends.

Here’s the thing though; I don’t want to just write about the good stuff. I want to discuss problems I face as a parent, and a young one at that. I want other moms to know that we’re not all perfect (well nobody is, they’re just good at faking it). 

I want this to be a blog where I can openly, and honestly talk about the stuff other people are too scared to admit, because it’s okay to admit we’re not perfect. I don't want this blog to be a brag-fest, a competition or a story about my "perfect" life. 

So let's just be honest with one another, and support each other. Okay?

What are some things you feel you could do better as a parent? What are some things you do amazingly as a parent?

Thanks,