Got My Knickers In Twist

[sherrardk]

(Not literally Sqad, sorry). Some of you will know that my children are everything to me but I seem to be getting it wrong somewhere. Boy #1 (12) rarely cracks a smile, boy #2 is always worried about something, girl doesn't seem to get a look in, thing 1 appears to be thick as a brick (teacher calls it 'away with the fairies' - which she is, thing 1, not the teacher) and thing 2's talking is much better but he's saying some nasty things. Just don't know where I am going wrong.

[LoftyLottie]

Just a normal family sherrard!! 'Things' never go according to plan. ;o)

[DTCwordfan]

Hey, sherrard, you are not.

As long as you are giving them your love and they are sharing theirs with you.

I admit humengous amounts of patience are needed and do rant away here as that is an important thing, to have your own pressure-valve release!

[Zacs-Master]

I'm sure you're not going wrong anywhere sherr. It's just part of growing up. Pushing the boundaries / dealing with hormones etc.

[DaisyNonna]

Take a deep breath, sit down, relax. You are doing a great job. As you well know every child is different. Just extremely hard when they all exhibit their differences at the same time.

[askyourgran]

Worry not sherrard 12 year olds suddenly decide it's uncool to smile at their parents or interact with people. Good to hear that boy2 is taking better - whatever he says - he's talking lol. You are a good mum to your kids you'd know if something was amiss with them. All part of growing up.

[Buenchico]

They just sound like perfectly normal (while still totally exceptional) kids to me, Sherrardk.

First-born children are often far more 'serious' than their siblings. I suspect that what will make him really happy would be to give him some responsibility (such as letting him planning a family outing, having regard to what everyone else might want to do).

No 2 just needs to be allowed to indulge in some pure silliness occasionally!

Don't ask me about girls though; they remain a total mystery to me ;-)

[Meg]

That's kids for you!! Only had three myself, all have been a real pain when they were younger but it does get better!
Calm down, it's normal family life.You're doing a great jobxx

[FredPuli43]

You're not going wrong. Swap stories with older mothers and you are guaranteed to find the same experiences and worse (and that the children turned out all right, contrary to their fears at the time)

[ayabrea38]

If you are doing something wrong then so are most of us!
How about some girly time with 'girl' while chatting away to thing 2.
Boy#1 sounds 100%normal,boy #2 will find something to lighten the mood soon(maybe after you and girl have girly time and it involves make up lol)
So unknot you knickers OK?
Aya

[FredPuli43]

PS, A friend,a new father, asked a father of six "At what age are children nicest?" and got the reply "None. They are all horrible at any age....but in different ways!" Oh, how true that is!

[sherrardk]

Thank you all, don't normally doubt my self to this extent. Think it is down to the fact that thing 1 has been 'confirmed' as thick as a brick (which is fine, if she is not very bright that's not a problem, but she already looks physically different to the others, don't want her to feel ostracised because she is not as clever as the others - she is mad, but lovely).

[DTCwordfan]

She will find her own way of expressing herself, and kids also change intellectually , as their brain wiring develops.

[Buenchico]

>>>she is mad, but lovely

Like mother, like daughter, then?
;-)

[sherrardk]

This is not like me, will give myself a kick up the arse and go to bed. She is lovely, but sooo different to the others. Thanks all, x

[Buenchico]

Goodnight, Sherrardk.

[woofgang]

My goddaughter spent much of her school time "away with the fairies"...she has just left uni with a 2.1 degree! Some children need to march to their own beat for a while. The fact that they seem "thick as a brick" doesn't mean that they are, just that the school is failing to engage them and find what they are good at.

[ummmm]

Like askyourgran says....it's so uncool to smile at your parents. If you get a chance to see him interacting with his mates you'll see what he's really like.

Boy 2, that sounds like his personality. There isn't much we can do about that. Mine and my sisters personalities are like chalk and cheese, so it's nothing to do with nurture.

Maybe have some one to one with your daughter if you can get the chance. It doesn't have to be something special.

I was 'away with the fairies' - doesn't mean she's thick. It's likely she'll come good in the end.

Nasty things...hmmmm....they all do it, just maybe out of earshot.

You're not going wrong, it sounds perfectly normal. The only thing I'd attempt to change is your daughter not getting a look in.

[boxtops]

Is thing 1 perhaps going to be good at practical things, rather than academic? everyone's different! You have several to compare which is more difficult for you, many people only have 1 or 2 little ones so have no benchmark, you sound like you have a good variety!

[sherrardk]

Thanks for the replies. I have given my self a talking to and I'm not actually doing that bad a job although I will do some girlie stuff with my eldest daughter and some extra school stuff with thing 1. (Boy #1 is happy as Larry when talking to his friends on the x-box, boy #2 smiles for 99% of the time and thing 2 is just doing now what he should have done when he was younger (but couldn't talk so well then).