It's a 'tude thing

I know, I know.
They are 5. They are testing my limits and that's natural. And part of that test is The Attitude.
By The Attitude I mean:
1) an increasing use of the word NO
2) a decrease in the use of the word Please
3) the ability to become blind, deaf and mute when asked to do anything that even resembles a chore

But with twins, they encourage each other to continue the bad behavior....they work together to distract me from what I want them to do...and before I know it, it's a rebellion!

OK, deep breath.
It's really not all that bad. I mean, they are girls, not boys. But I feel the urgency to nip it in the bud before they are 16 and stealing the car keys and...well, you know what we all did.

And so I realized I need to turn to the parenting guidebook that gave me the validation, the direction, and let's face it, the backbone to stand up to these half-decade hooligans running wild in my head and in my home.

Twofer Thumbs Up for the book The Blessings of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel.

I discovered this book at my sister-in-law's house. She had picked it up at a friend's house and never returned it. I picked it up at her house and got on Amazon to order a copy faster than you can say "time out". I have since dished advice, the Amazon link, and actual copies of this book to more parents than I can count. My current copy lives at my neighbors house...and I'm heading over there tomorrow to claim my sanity.

Basically, this book reminds me that the best thing I can do for my kids is to set boundaries for them (to push but ultimately respect), let them learn by making their own mistakes, and that sometimes it's ok to say, "Because I say so!"

After a few pages a real sense of peace comes to me and I'm not so scary.