Before I had children I prided myself in the fact that I was never tardy. I would show up at work, functions, and dinner parties on time or early.
Then I had a child.
Three and a half years later, I had another child.
Suddenly I found myself in the midst of “tardy land”. I was late all the time and the thought of it created much anxiety. I never used to be this way! Why would two children throw me off my punctuality game?
The more I deliberated over this anomaly the more it stressed me out.
“Hurry up! We’re going to be late!”
I found myself uttering this phrase repeatedly to my children. Did they care? No.
Frustration built as I began to rack up late slips for myself.
“You girls always make me late.”
This phrase is often followed by my 3-year-old flopping on the ground like a fish while her sister sits and laughs hysterically at the spectacle. To make matters worse, my oldest daughter often doesn’t have her coat, hat, or boots on either.
“I guess we won’t go.”
Yes, I find myself saying this too.
I hate these words as soon as they come out of my mouth. I want to get out of the house. We have a commitment. Why would I make a threat that I, myself, don’t want to follow through on?
Fortunately they often want to leave the house just as much as me. However, on one occasion they asserted they didn’t want to go anywhere. I followed through with my threat and we stayed home. I was miserable all afternoon.
“I guess we won’t go….”
“No, no, no,” the girls scream in unison as they both scramble around bumping into each other and grabbing at each other’s articles of clothing. I swear if I could mute them and dub over some silent film piano music, it would be a comical scene.
However, in the midst of moments like these, I can’t laugh.
The anxiety climbs and I’m ready to cry.
Often getting to the car is another ordeal. Since we live in a townhouse we have to walk to the main parking lot to get to our car. The distractions along the way are unnerving.
They spot the same old neighbourhood cat but on the days we’re running late they have to stop and pet it or talk to it. It’s the same cat we see EVERY-SINGLE-DAY! Why do you have to give it so much attention today? I want to yell this at them but I have some control, so I just storm ahead to the car, calling over my shoulder, “Hurry girls! We’re late!”
Then there’s the distractions of pebbles, pine cones, and puddles… it’s the magic formula for a preschooler and a nightmare for a mom who’s running behind schedule. Then there’s frost on the windows of the car and my children just have to carve a masterpiece into the icy medium. I normally don’t mind but on a day that we’re late I start barking at them to stop drawing and get into the car.
I will stop here and say I’ve reflected on these situations and though I’m embarrassed to admit my shortcomings, I’m beyond the point of self-condemnation. After seven years of parenting I’ve concluded that I’m far from perfect, I will never be perfect, and most days I’m striving to be just enough.
I will never be perfect and most days, I'm striving to be just enough. #parenting Share on XHowever, being the deliberate mom that I am, I realize that something has to change.
That something is me.
I’m the one who sets the schedule.
I’m the one who times out the itinerary.
I know my children well and they are dawdlers. It’s my fault for not taking the time to teach them the importance of punctuality. Unfortunately, I’ve gotten into the habit of using their dawdling as an excuse for my own poor behaviour. I check my email one last time, I add one more coat of lipstick, or I begin to gather things which I should have packed hours earlier.
There was something else that I realized had to change and that’s my words.
“Hurry.”
As I type that word a shiver crawls up my spine. I’ve raised my children in an unhurried world. We
“Hurry.”
If there’s one thing I want my children to feel is peaceful. I want them to know their home and their family as peaceful people. “Hurry” is robbing them of that peace.
Hurry means a mom who is barking orders, nagging them, and reprimanding them.
Hurry means a mom who’s telling them to stop enjoying moments and blow past the whimsy of childhood without any regard.
Hurry means stress, anxiety, and hurt relationships.
I’m making a change. I will be more thoughtful in my preparations to leave the house and I will remove the word ‘hurry’ from my vocabulary. My approach for teaching punctuality to my children needs intentional consideration and gentle direction. It won’t be easy and it might mean we’ll be late on several occasions. However, I’ve decided that I would much rather be late than to bruise my children’s self-esteem.
SHARE WITH OTHERS
I struggle with this constantly here and not going to lie I was never late anywhere before having kids, but now I am never on time. Like you I need to make a better effort in this and can’t thank you enough for sharing and the reminder here today. Happy Monday now :) xoxo!!
I realized how frequently I was saying hurry and now that I’m trying to cut it out of my vocabulary, I see how often I say it! Ugh! It will take time… and I’m in no hurry to get there.
Wishing you a lovely Monday as well.
Oh, Jennifer, I so get this! I was the same before kids – always early. I despise the mad scramble to get everyone out the door in the mornings. It really is amazing how much just a small amount of prep can do. I used to pack lunches the night before, but, let’s face it – at night I’m tired and I don’t want to, so I had stopped. When January rolled around I resolved in my mine to at least partially pack my three girls’ lunches the right before. It has made such huge difference in the mornings. I had almost forgotten how helpful it was!
The mad scrambles and the language I was using completely overwhelmed me. This is not the mom I want to be. It will take time for me to be more intentional with my words but it will come.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
I can relate to this so much. I swear I have said some of the same things. “Really?! We do this every day!” I hate being in a rush and despise being late to things. I blame Dr. Phil. What seems likes eons ago, he made the statement that people who are constantly late are selfish. Of course, this was before I had children and knew better ha! The statement just stuck with me. “Must be on time. I am not selfish person!” But like you I realized that if we are “hurrying” out the door isn’t my own problem. Whether I didn’t start getting ready early enough. I misplaced something. I forgot _____. I do my best to not rush the kids and give us plenty of time to leave the house. This being said, I am a basket case when we leave the house for a road trip. I drive my husband crazy. But at least I stay calm during our every day errands right?!
Why do I breathe a sigh of relief when someone says they can relate?!
I heard that on Dr. Phil too! Maybe that’s what’s made me so obsessed with being on time.
I definitely want to be more mindful of my actions and my words. This “hurry” thing has gotten out of control. I’ve been trying to cut it out of my vocabulary over the past week and I’m stunned by how often I say it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Katie.
This is insightful. I need to remove “hurry” from my vocabulary… All of my family and friend’s KNOW that I have little patience. I’ve been working on it for some time now. This is a good step. I wonder how long I could go through with avoiding “hurry”.
Monica, I never realized how MUCH I said ‘hurry’ until I tried to remove it from my vocabulary. This is going to take a lot of effort and focused attention. However, I know the effort will be worth it… as I’ll feel better about my role as mama!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this too.
I think about this a lot when we have kids, what it’s going to look like. I hate being late. HATE it. I know adding in little kiddos to the mixture will make it difficult to always be on time so I’m going to have to let go of that control some and like you said not always be in a ‘hurry’!!!
Oh Caroline, start working on this now. I am struggling to eliminate “hurry” from my vocabulary. I never realized how much I said it until I tried to stop saying it!
Jennifer, don’t short change yourself! You are always much more than enough!
I feel the exact same way about being late! I cringe as I hear myself try and hurry my kids along. I find myself barking at the kids “just put your coat on! Hurry!” Ugh. I know I need to take more control in the mornings and plan for extra time it takes for the kids to dress themselves and for those great moments of discovery (my two love drawing on the car too!) I hope to have more peaceful departures. I know I’ll feel better about myself and the kids will start the outing on a positive note (rather than being herded like cattle sometimes).
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on this Shilo.
Now that I’m trying to cut ‘hurry’ out of my vocabulary, I realize how much I say it. Ugh. It’s going to take lots of time and effort but I’m certain it will have a positive impact on all of us.
I feel your pain, even though my baby needs me to get him ready. It’s 100% my fault. He has absolutely no concept of time or needing to be anywhere. It’s up to me to plan it all out and to get where we need to go safely and calmly! I hate rushing. I will start practicing NOW with the language I use around encouraging my babes to get ready to go. Thanks for the ideas!!
Stephanie @ Mommyzoid
It’s good to be mindful of this when they’re young. This has gotten to be a bad habit for me and it’s going to take some time and patience to break it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this Stephanie!
I learned from some of my research into Waldorf education that hurrying kids usually has the opposite effect LOL Once I was alerted to this phenomenon I definitely noticed the effect in my home! Waldorf has some cute ways of reducing the need to hurry kids, mostly by sticking to a routine so that the kids just flow from one thing to the next because they know what they are to be doing by force of habit. I also use this sweet little song they used to sing to the kids while they were walking from one place to the next, it just goes “Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow me” it has the effect of hurrying them along but in a really sweet way! You could probably sing it to any tune you want. :) It works like a charm for us!
Thank you so much for sharing these suggestions Sarah. It’s going to take some time for me to break the ‘hurry’ habit but I know I’ll feel better when I do.
When you’re in the boot camp years of parenting, it’s just hard. I applaud you for changing the way you deal with the stress of trying to get everybody out the door on time.
Our family has been carpooling with the neighbors across the street, so I haven’t had to leave the house in the morning for school. But they’re MOVING this weekend (sob!) so I’ll be needing to remind *myself* of these things next week, as I try to get everybody out the door at 7:30 to drop off at 2 different schools.
Thanks Shecki. It’s tough to break bad habits. The declaration and command of ‘hurry’ is so ingrained in my language… it’s going to take some time.
I hope things go smoothly for this upcoming transition you’re facing.
Hi Jennifer! I had to smile when you wrote that you are the ‘deliberate mom’. I think it’s wonderful to connect to well to your calling as a mom with intention.
And to see a teaching moment here too. Letting your children know that being on time is a good thing, a respectful thing. That’s really great, and I hope I can turn my thoughts from irritation to growth as well you did here.
Aways an inspiration :)
Ceil
Well Ceil, it’s going to take some time for me to break the habit of saying ‘hurry’. It’s a habit I’ve let get out of control and I didn’t realize how often I was doing it until I was trying to break it!
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words.
What a great post. Through daily practice of mindfulness I am slowly (but surely) learning to do things deliberately, not to rush anything. Thank you so much for sharing such openness with the world. :-) #ibabloggers
It really does take practice doesn’t it Michelle? I’m trying to break this habit of saying ‘hurry’ and I’m stunned at how often I default to it.
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment. I appreciate it.
This post is funny and poignant at the same time, and so true! I need to dial down the hurriedness from my own life, too…
Yay! Someone got my humour! You’re the first one who mentioned it Susan and I was beginning to wonder if this was me laughing at my own jokes again!
I’m really focused on slowing down and not rushing my children. It will take some time to break this bad habit but it will be worth it!
Wow just wow I never thought of the word hurry like that before. I just figures my kids took their time to drive me crazy. I never realized that it was me too. Thanks so much for sharing your story.
I’m glad this got you thinking Cindy. this revelation wasn’t my proudest moment but at least I can start making a change now.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
What a nice post. I think you such a wonderful mom~ eventhough i didnt have a kids, but i know how do you feel. I hate late but i hate too hurry. If too hurry i feel my life like a robot and no peaceful. Anyway thanks for sharing with us~ #ibabloggers
I’m glad you enjoyed this Christin. I like to feel peaceful and I want my children to feel peaceful. Hopefully, with time and practice, I will learn to get my children out the door in a peaceful and calm manner.
Thanks for sharing and for stopping by.
Wonderful thoughts, Jennifer! I HATE being late and have found that planning well ahead helps me not fall into the “hurry up”/anxiousness! Shoes and socks, jackets, bags loaded in the van well before we are planning to leave, it all helps so much!
I have to be more intentional with my time and the way I plan things out.
It sounds like you have a good system Sanz… and you have twice as many children!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
I also hate being late! And I have also found myself saying “We just won’t go,” even when I really, really want to GO. I try to give them time…sometimes it seems the earlier I start getting them ready, the more they fight getting ready! It’s crazy! One thing that I have found that helps is I sneakily get them ready…acting like it’s no big deal…just brush your teeth…nothing’s going on here…Hey, let’s change your clothes…and then, when all they need is shoes and coats I say, “HEY! Let’s go to the ________!” I think the excitement of getting to go somewhere (because we rarely leave the house since I do daycare at home) gets them so excited they go nuts – so I don’t tell them. Also, I’ve made my peace (most days) with the fact that kids don’t see into the future very well. Getting ready to leave in 2 mins is a much shorter goal than getting ready for an activity you’ll do in 20 min. And I do my best not to plan doctor appointments or important things you can’t be late for at times when my husband isn’t around to help wrangle!
LOL– wrangle… that’s a term my husband frequently uses.
I like the idea of making it seem like it’s no big deal. Maybe I’ll try that too. I find my oldest daughter drills me about where we’re going and if it’s a place she doesn’t like, she’ll REALLY drag her feet. SO maybe I should try your method… hmmmm. Thanks for the suggestion!
This really resonates with me, I’m constantly hearing myself yelling at my kids to hurry up. Trying to quit!
I didn’t realize until I started to be mindful of saying ‘hurry’, just how often I say it! I’m constantly rushing them through everything and really it’s at times that ‘rushing’ isn’t necessary. I hope I can break this habit. All of us will be happier.
This is so me….except more with my hubby. He is always the last one ready to go! Yes, baby girl makes me late too, and it totally stresses me out, but I just try to get ready earlier. But the hubs. aye, aye, aye.
xoxo
My hubby is ALWAYS waiting for me. I feel bad for the poor guy. He’ll even joke around and say that he’s putting up a tent in the front entrance because I’m taking so long LOL. However, when the kids are involved, it’s the kids (and my fault because I’m dragging my feet).
I realized it wasn’t about my kid, but about me. Like, it’s on me to leave enough time to get us there, it’s not on her to put on her shoes faster. Does that make sense? Looking at it that way really helped me.
That’s exactly what conclusion I came to. I realized that it was my fault… not theirs and that I have make changes both in my behaviour and in my words.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Lacy.
Jennifer, i am right there with you. On the hurry part, but also when you said you have to change, for a long time there had been discontentment between me and my daughter and it had gotten better, but only because i am changing which is sparking change in her.
Yes, I think that as the parent/the adult, often we do have to initiate the change. A lot of this behaviour is perpetuated by my own.
Thanks so much for sharing your perspective on this Bijee.
None of us are perfect! I’m a grandmother now and my kids are grown. We all go through stressful days. It sounds like you’re doing really well with the kids. And the fact that you think about it, is very helpful for yourself! You’re doing great I bet!
And thank you for commenting on my blog! I really appreciate it!
I love this post, often we as parents do rush our kids every day and that’s the last thing I want to do is make them feel like they have to rush through things. Enjoying the moment is important and I need to keep that in mind. If it means starting to get ready earlier but not feeling rushed then I would rather do that. Thanks for this, pinning and tweeting! #ibabloggers
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Bernadyn. Yes, I really don’t want to be rushing my children. I want them to enjoy life and savor moments… this starts at a young age.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this and for pinning/tweeting!
Hmmm.. I was always tardy before having kids, now I’m mostly on time because I overprepare.. haha… crazy how that works. But anyway, great post, thanks for sharing! – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
I should get into the habit of over-preparing too. It might make this ‘transition’ easier.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Gingi!
Hehe, my husband hates how much I plan.. or rather, overplan.. but it keeps my sanity (somewhat) intact! hehe!
It was good for me to read this post! I know I say that word entirely too often, and not always in the kindest way. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad this post resonated with you Jolene.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on using the word ‘hurry’. We can overcome this habit together!
I am trying not to say hurry as much. But my daughter is so incredibly slow. Sometimes it slips out. I am trying though.
You’re trying… and that’s awesome! I never realized how much I said it until I tried to stop saying it. Wow… what a nag I must have been.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Amber.
You are SO not alone!! My daughter is only 15 months old. I am a fast-doer of EVERYTHING. I walk fast, talk fast, and we have to get places quickly. However, my sweet daughter has only learned to walk a few months ago, and loves to explore and look at the world around her. I may not say “hurry up” yet, but I find myself saying “come on” in a sweet voice to her just because mom wants to get somewhere quicker. Which, I’m now realizing translates into “hurry!” Thanks for the reminder to stop and slow down and stop rushing. Especially when they are children and love to take everything in!
It’s such a relief to hear “you’re not alone”.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about ‘hurry’. It’s such a hard habit to break but I’m sure everyone will be happier when we slow down and enjoy!
Um, all I can say is yes yes yes. :)
Ahhh, someone else who identifies with this. I’m so glad I’m not alone on this one….
Hi Jennifer,
I have struggled with this for almost 26 years now, yes my oldest will be that old next month, and it is not a battle I have won but unlike you I never really took the time to acknowledge my responsibility in the whole tardiness situation. I, sadly, just kept saying hurry. Reading your post made me adore you even more because you always make yourself accountable for the problems that occur. Something I have only just begun learning to do. I guess it’s better late than never right?
Thanks for sharing this you have helped me to realize, even though my girls are teens now, that hurrying them along is not the kind of parent I ever wanted to be and it’s not too late for me to change my ways!
xx
Lysa
I think not rushing, even for yourself, is a good idea. Imagine how much stress we put ourselves under every time we’re hurrying about.
Thanks for sharing your reflections on ‘hurrying’ Lysa.
You always have a way of helping me see an alternative to a situation…as I was reading this I thought about how my two year old lives to see the toys in the garage, but as soon as we head out the door, I insist that he get in the car RIGHT AWAY, instead of changing my expectations and letting him satiate his curiosity, which is so much more important than being somewhere on time. AND I do the same thing…I use their dawdling as an excuse for me to check my phone again, always. I’m always doing that!! Great perspective you’ve pointed out, very helpful Jennifer!
Well Jessica, you can always count on me to hyper-evaluate situations. I’m glad you enjoyed this and that it made you reflect on your own need to hurry. I’m struggling to break this habit. I never realized how much I was doing it until I tried to STOP doing it.
While taking my little girl to school today, I drove by an accident in a not so busy driveway. it reminded me the saying ” better be late than be the late”. My husband spoke about the incident for a good while while he admonished me to exercise more patience while driving.
Hurry never makes running late better.
Thanks for sharing
Yes, rushing can indeed be dangerous… and it’s not the way God wants us to live.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Ifeoma.
Great perspective, Jennifer! I find that I’m always running late, and I get frustrated, but you’re right. It’s really my responsibility to get the bus moving, not my two-year old’s! Lol. Thanks for the reminder. ;)
I’m glad you enjoyed this Kristy. I didn’t realize how often I was rushing my girls until I actively tried to cut the word from my vocabulary. I was rushing them through bathroom routines, clean up, play time, getting dressed… oh the list goes on and on. I’m so thankful I caught onto it!
Hi Jennifer, if there is one Mum out there who does not relate to this post, I would like to meet that lady! I can imagine Mums everywhere nodding as can relate to everything you’ve written…But I will hold my hands up and say that I am often the one who gets sidetracked by a bug, a flower or a bird on the way to the car, which is parked just outside our house!…(I can’t help it, I take pleasure in the simplest things in life!).
I must say that the Greek attitude to life is rather unhurried (unless you see them behind the wheel of a car, then for some reason that attitude changes totally). In some ways it’s a good thing, why not take time to smell the roses?..But it can have it’s down side.
I hope you manage to find a happy medium, where you can eliminate the word hurry from your vocabulary and manage to find a positive way to encourage your children to be ready on time!…Now that post would go viral!…xx
Oh how I wish I could have a laid back attitude. It’s rush, rush here… and it’s totally a cultural thing. I’m just glad I don’t have to do the work commute anymore. ARGH!!!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Deb. I appreciate your encouragement and insights.
I don’t miss the pressure of living in a rush culture one bit, but sometimes the laid back attitude can be taken to extremes here. One thing that does amuse me thought is that it takes me a full 15 – 20 minutes to drive into town , but in the summer that time doubles and it feels like forever (we are so spoiled here!). I don’t know how people commute for hours to work each day, I couldn’t do it now…xx
I make sure I give my children a half hour of extra time to get ready every morning, and it does make a more peaceful home. We also remember almost everything we need to do for the day!
That’s a good idea Robin. Some days I’m good with this but most days I’m not. This is going to take a lot of work on my part… but I’m committed to the process.
I love this Jennifer! In this hustle and bustle world, giving our children a peaceful place is so important. I like to be on time and try really hard to do so. Sometimes I am late and it’s because life happened. When that happens I always try to remember my mantra “the most important things in life aren’t things (or events) it’s people”
Have a wonderful day my sweet friend!
As a Christian, I long for my children to have peace in their lives and especially in their home. It means so much to me. It was hard to see that I was upsetting the peace because of my own oversights. I’m so glad I caught onto it though… I’m making progress, day by day.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Jen.
Oh, I’ve so been here and with only one little girl in tow! I noticed this about myself, too, and saw that it was adding anxiety so I also began adding time on the front end.
It takes her 15 minutes to pick out and put on her shoes, but I know the independence it gives her is valuable so I adjusted and stopped asking her to do so.
Love reading your posts, Jennifer. It’s like I’m taking to a friend over coffee. Have a wonderful day!
I’m naturally an anxious person and I hate that my actions could be creating anxiety for my children. Fortunately I recognized I have been doing this and I have been working really hard to try to break myself of the “hurry” habit.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Sarah. I’m so glad it feels like we’re talking over coffee– that’s exactly how I want you to feel when you’re visiting here!
Lovely thoughts and perspective.. we can imagine what you’re talking about.. and “hurry” is really impacting every one of us now. Things are moving fast now, technology changes every minute.
We live in such a fast-paced culture… I don’t want that leaking into my home. I want my children to know their home as a relaxed and peaceful place.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this.
xoxo
I was constantly late before I had children. Now I just try not to schedule so much. My two-year-old has a mind of his own. And if he doesn’t want to sit in the carseat to go somewhere, he just won’t. It often takes me several minutes to coax and bribe him into acceptance. And I tell my tween son that we just have to be patient with little brother–and allow ourselves plenty of time to get where we need to go.
That’s a good point to not schedule as much.
Thanks for sharing your insights on this Kerry!
It wasn’t until I read this post that I realized how much I dislike the word “hurry” too. Oh I can’t stand it! I hate feeling rushed. I’m like you, always on time (early). But kids definitely force us out of our comfort zone. I feel so uncomfortable and quite honestly, like a failure (i know I’m petty) when I show up late. UGDJKHFDJKHF! But the real issue is my husband. He doesn’t believe in clocks, hours, minutes, nothing. He’s a “when I’m done, it’s over” kind of guy. I cannot tell you how many days a week he comes home late from work, how many times he’s been late to events, or made me late to things because he doesn’t live by the clock. And yet he has 4857345 watches. Psh. Ironic
I almost wish I could have a mentality like your husband’s. I’ve been working so hard to slow down and to remove ‘hurry’ from my vocabulary. I don’t want to be the source of anxiety for my girls. It’s going to take some time but the peace I’m sure we’ll reap from the change will be worth it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this too!
I caught myself saying this today, and we weren’t even in a hurry. We were going on a trip to Walmart…because I wanted to get out of the house. We too were dawdling…she had to pick out her shoes, and her had, and her coat…which is fine, but as we all know, it takes more than 2 minutes to do.
Thanks for such a great reminder!
And thanks for linking up with us for the Saturday Spotlight! :)
As soon as I committed to erasing this from my dialogue, I discovered just how much I say it… and over the most ridiculous things!
I’m glad you enjoyed this and thanks for hosting a fun party!
I had a “tardy” problem before my daughter was born and now it’s improved….well somewhat. I’ve become much more conscious of the time it takes me to get ready that I’ve cut that down drastically to accommodate for the extra things I have to do to prep her for our trips out as well. Doesn’t always work. Last minute poops just happen sometimes! lol
Yes, the last minute poops do sometimes happen. LOL
I think I was more organized when I had just the one but with two… yeah, not so good. I’m working on it though.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
I think “hurry up, we’re going to be late” is what my kids are going to put on my tombstone. It’s probably the thing they’ve heard me say the most in their entire lives.
I’m sure they’ll put something else on your tombstone *wink*.
I’m finding it’s a tough habit to break but I’m making progress and that’s what counts!
I am always working on this with my kids… I try to be calm and give them enough ‘wiggle room’ in the morning so we arent rushed… but I def have those mornings where I am the crazy, screaming mommy trying to get my kids out the door so they wont be late for school! (in fact, this morning was like that… yikes!)
It’s a tough habit to break! It’s a daily battle for me to remember to keep my cool and not rush. It will come eventually right Lauren?!
Oh boy, can I relate. It’s so difficult to lay down my plans and wait on people. All my people are easily distracted, slow and plodding. My husband’s entire family is like that. I was raised by a mom who always ‘had a plan’ and dinner was five o’clock every single day. It’s rough, even now, for me to slow down and adjust my expectations of myself and others. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I could not slow down until I had the fourth child. I missed too much, trying to hurry and push and get stuff done.
I’m worried about missing a lot because I’m rushing. I’m so glad I caught onto this now. I have time to change and make amends for rushing my children along.
It’s like you have been watching me try to get my girls out of the house! We have the same scenarios and I am always frustrated with myself as I am yelling at them to hurry. Now it is winter and for some reason they always have to walk through the deep snow on the way out to the car :) This post was a fantastic eye-opener for me. I had never stopped and thought about that I was robbing them of their peace by forcing them to hurry when I am the one that controls when we get ready to go. Thank you!
I swear I haven’t been spying on you! It’s reassuring to know others are encountering similar obstacles though. Winter is particularly challenging, isn’t it?!
I’m really working on breaking the “hurry” habit. I have a feeling it will take a lot of time and effort but I’ll feel better about not rushing my girls along.
Jennifer, I love love love this post. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately myself as I enter the two year old phase. I’ve been hearing myself utter the word “hurry” more times than I would like now and you’re right, we set the schedule. So why not plan to be out the door ten minutes earlier, so you can be just on time :) and if you’re early, no one ever complains about someone who arrives early!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Tawnya… and that you identified how it can be remedied.
I’m working on breaking the “hurry” habit. It’s going to take some time but I’m super committed to the process.
Thanks for stopping by and for sharing such a thoughtful comment.
Once again you are as timely as ever. Today was our first day back to school, just for Scarlet, and I had to bite my tongue because I wanted so badly to say, “Hurry!”
Every morning is the same, it seems, and I can’t expect the kids to change. Unfortunately we really do have to get to school before the bell rings, or suffer the consequences, so empty threats won’t work. (not that they would anyway)
It breaks my heart that every morning, I’m rushing her along. Lately she’s been asking for Cassidy to take her to school and I know it’s because of me.
Oh wow! That whole hallway experience describes mine on pretty much every school day!!
I don’t want the start of their school and nursery days to be stressed. For them to have heard ‘HURRY UP’ 15 times before we even get in the car.
I have a breakfast schedule on the fridge now… Not quite your usual one perhaps(!) it specifies the latest minute that breakfast needs to start, and if it hasn’t started by then we’re taking takeaway breakfast in the car instead! The point of this being that if it’s already too late to sit down and have a proper breakfast I’ve decided it’s better for us to in a ‘slightly calmer’ fashion get straight into the car instead – I don’t want to be stressing them when they’re eating – and have a car picnic!! It doesn’t happen too often but the kids love it.
Hello cute lady! I’m loving it. Pinned and tweeted. Thank you so much for partying with us. I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm. We love to party with you! Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls