Life always presents so many obstacles. Over the past year and a half I have been extremely stressed. I am trying to take on numerous roles. I am a student, pursuing my doctorate degree in physical therapy, a mother of two small children, a wife, and a per diem physical therapist assistant.
When I decided to go back to school I knew it would present some challenges but nothing like it has. If I am not physically entertaining my children I am studying. I drive with notecards, I sleep with notecards, I walk with notecards, and keep notecards in my purse. If I don't have my notecards on me, my son says, "mommy don't you need your notecards? When are you going to be done with them anyways." It is cute, but sad. Last year the most stressful part of school was studying! This year the most stressful part of going back to school is babysitting.
Recently, I was completely thrown of guard. It all started after I received a 3 1/2 page letter from my sitter stating that she had to "take a toy" out of my sons hands. Honestly, who hasn't taken a toy from a 4 year old. What 4 year old doesn't test you? Not to say my son is perfect because, by all means he is not. Yes, he should have listened when the sitter asked to put the toy down, but he didn't. Lesson learned (hopefully). From this point on, every time I mentioned my sitters name he would scrunch his little nose, and pout! If I told him he was going there he would hysterically cry...it was heart wrenching. I would constantly ask "why he was crying" and he would cry harder. I had the worst images going through my mind...he kept shutting down.
After a week of trying to talk with him and getting no were but him producing more tears, I decided to ask Mary-Ann. When I approached her the first thing she said to me was "Mikey was bad, and was locked in a room for a long time!" My heart sank to my toes, literally. My little boy was traumatized. Locked in a room-come on!!!
Needless to say, Michael and Mary-Ann are no longer going to that sitter. I approached her on it and she assured me that Michael wasn't "locked" in there but was placed in quiet time/time out for a half hour the day she took the toy away. It hurt me in many ways as a mother. Completely believe Michael should have been reprimanded for not listening, but a half hour in quiet time for a 4 year old, in a room he hadn't been in? I think that penalty doesn't fit the crime.
This week the kids will begin with a new sitter. I am praying for happy children to come home. I have never felt so stressed before. I can't calm down and continuously cry...I think, I have too much on my plate and need me time!
