Problems with the Mother

• One child saying to a friend, “Let’s go away. We HATE him. [about another child]” Putting off making phone calls to friends yet another week. So long that now she’s embarrassed to call.
  
• One child trying to discern how appropriate a request is before obeying.Trying to figure out the future before she stops worrying about it.
• Lots of times starting to put something away (after being reminded) but dropping it on a chair somewhere. (They have indeed been told this is not obedience) Lots of times starting to put something away but dropping it on a chair somewhere. Sneak a look in the study.
  
• Lots of messes that do not get cleaned up. A new activity literally every three minutes, complete with its own mess. Lots of messes that do not get cleaned up. Side of the bed. High countertop. laundry on the couch. winter clothes on the guest bed.
• Needing to be prodded repeatedly to clean up the room. When mother helps, the children stop working. See above. Add exercise to the list.
• Whining and tears when a sibling doesn’t give a desired object to someone else. Acting, um, different, when I don’t get my way.
• Siblings who hang onto said object just because the other child wants it. Knowing  that if there were only one coffee left, I’d drink it.
• Siblings who tell a child to go away because they’re making a surprise, then spend that time playing with the other child. Hiding in the bedroom to have some alone time.
• Children who play instead of napping, then fall asleep in evening church. Staying up well past midnight when husband is on call. Then being exhausted the next day.
• Children (older than 2) who pull the dogs tail, kick the dog, and forget to feed her. Not all at once, thankfully. Poor thing. Forgetting to take children to the pet store to get crickets for the lizard. Several days in a row. On more than one occasion.
• Gloating and bragging. Saying I told you so to my children. Talking about myself far too much in social situations.
• Interrupting. Then irritation when someone else interrupts. Interrupting. Then irritation when someone else interrupts.

I didn’t start my child list intending to write one for myself. But… conviction started to set in, and my conscience wrote this post, basically. Thankfully, God gives grace to the humble. I need God’s help! More on that point tomorrow!