I feel your pain

The following is an excerpt from Lisa Whelchel's book "Speaking Mom-
ese":

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by
God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV

I have never known stress like I did when I was raising three
toddlers. At least a half dozen times a day, my "angels" would make me
want to scream at the top of my lungs and cry. They just wouldn't do
what I wanted them to do. They argued and were unkind to each other.
They constantly whined, "Hold me. Hold me." They threw fits.
Sometimes they even battled with me for hours - simply over cleaning
their rooms.
Of course, this makes them sound horrible, and they're not! In
general, Tucker, Haven, and Clancy are great kids. It's just that they
weren't born well-behaved. No child is. So, I often had to wage a war
to get them to submit to me and to the high calling of Jesus Christ.
There were times I felt I was spanking them all day long and it wasn't
doing any good. On those days, I couldn't spank them any more; I
couldn't encourage and praise them any more. I knew I could always
pray more, but even prayer seemed ineffective. It felt like nothing
would reduce the stress except for time. Specifically, twenty years of
time.
With all that chaos, trying to fit in anything to do for myself was
really frustrating. My goals for each day were simple: I wanted to
excercise, journal, sew a bit, take a bath, make the bed, and keep the
kitchen clean. I didn't usually attain all those goals, but I did
learn to adjust my expectations. I wrote in my journal once a week or
so. Excercised at least every other day. Sewed once a season. Made the
bed before Steve got home. Bathed if I could. And cleaned the high
chair if things started growing on it.
If I was able to accomplish these things; if the kids were all healthy
and taking their naps or playing quietly in their rooms, then life
suddenly made sense. But I don't think I ever experienced more than
two of those days, let alone two hours at a stretch. I simply did the
best I could, as I'm sure you do, too.
I share all this with you because I know what it's like to be in the
trenches. I've been a mom long enough to know that sometimes, the most
encouraging words you can hear are the ones that remind you that you
are not alone.
Whatever you're experiencing, you can bet I've been there, too. I feel
your pain!
Just hang in there - some things will get easier.


What is one of your frustrations as a mommy? Leave a comment,
I'll go first. Then go kiss your kiddos!