Much like my beloved husband wrote, I really want my children to listen.  I want to voice a request and have it understood and followed the first time.  I do not want to talk to a wall. I do not want to spend my days as the personification of insanity, always saying the same things while expecting a different result.

How can that be? You may ask.  You have the ability to change the results. True, but I am at a loss as to how. 

Here is an example of a typical conversation (or rather monologue) between me and my delightful twins who’s mission in life is to either climb, break or throw everything in their presence.

ME: Stop hitting your brother.

THEM: (stop, look at me, raise truck to hit brother).

ME: Stop hitting your brother (takes truck) No No!

THEM: (cry, look around for another truck, run after offending brother)

ME: (intercepting offender) No! We don’t hit. Hitting hurts! Let’s play (get bonked on the head with a truck by former victim) OW! NO NO! Time out.

THEM: giggle giggle.

ME: Come over here (dragging bodies) Sit.  Hitting is naughty. Sit til the timer dings.

THEM: giggle giggle.

(timer dings)

ME: Good job.  Now, be nice!

THEM: (hug each other and rub the other’s head in their “nice” motion)

ME: That’s right.  Good boys!  Let’s build a tower of blocks!

THEM: (Grabbing blocks) giggle giggle. WAHHH!!

ME: (sigh) Stop hitting your brother

So, what do I do?  These boys are perpetual motion machines who get a kick out of beating on each other one minute and loving each other the next. 

Do I just ignore their behavior and chalk it up to their puppy like qualities or do I step in with harsher consequences? Or do I surrender to the fact that I will likely be institutionalized by the time these two come of rational thinking age and it therefore really doesn’t matter what I do…I guess it’s something only time will tell!