Confessions of Three

After a significant absence, I'm restarting this blog. Now as to whether there will be use of it, we'll see.

Confessions of Three
We have three kids. Time and again we receive comments from relatives and friends and how great of parents we are. Well, I'm here to shock you with Confessions of Three. There are many confessions, certainly more than three. However, this is intended to show you how real we are as parents. We are not saints by any means.

1. Order out. Yes, we order out. When I just don't have the patience to deal with three screaming kids in addition to boiling water or frying pans, I order out. Is it healthy? Hell no. Financially sound decision? Hell no. McDonald's, Chinese, or the local Domino's...all three are happy to receive our financial support.

2. Yell. We do at times find ourselves yelling at the three. Sometimes, it seems like there is no other way to get them to listen (wait, they don't even listen then), or at least a way for us to vent our bottled frustration after telling them five times to stop whacking the dog with a toy, blanket, or some other projectile.

3. Spank. Yes, we have spanked our kids. It's not a preference or frankly desired, but sometimes it seems to be the only method to get them to switch gears and stop whatever tirade they have initiated or joined. Time outs do not work in our household, it just makes it worse. Also, teaching with love methods don't really work when you have cars flying at your head or at someone else's.

4. Just buy the damn toy. When out in public and you have three kids, if one literally will not stop screaming because you've said no, sometimes it's not worth fighting over and you just buy the damn toy to shut them up.

5. When was the last? We don't give our kids baths every night. Frankly, sometimes it has been a week, maybe longer. We even settle sometimes with just a wash down with a rag if we're in a rush. Simply, it's not that we don't want to, but we forget given the craze. We even have reminders set on our phones...

6. Dependent Sleepers. When the kids (yes all three) beg to sleep in your bed, again, is it worth fighting over? For the most part, they sleep in their beds, but when the begging comes, I give in. I'd rather gain the extra 2 hours of sleep than spend those hours arguing with a three year old about being a big boy. He'll be a big boy later and I will most likely lose out on the cuddling. And to be frank, he's a natural heater.

7. Inappropriate Prayers. Dinner prayers tend to include inappropriate comments and sounds. Do we care? Hey, at least they are praying. It's a start.

8. I can't find.... I at least can tend to be forgetful. I lose my phone, wallet, computer, keys, you name it. As Sherlock says, you only have so much space. I'd rather save that space for my kids. It does make it difficult when you are in the grocery parking lot with a cart full of groceries and kids....and you can't find the car or the keys.


Despite these issues that we face, we love our kids and they love us. They do a pretty darn good job when days are going well (and I'd say that includes a majority of days), but when days are rough, they can be rough. Between work, family, and negotiating school, it can be a challenge. We have our weaknesses, our failures, our mistakes. We're not saints, but real parents dealing with children under the age of 5.