Quote:
Originally Posted by velcro003
I just want to say, I feel for you LT! I don't have kids, but am a preschool teacher to 2 year olds. A classroom of toddlers is absolutely insanity, and the struggle to feel like i am not patient enough, or kind enough to these guys is real. I know it ISN'T the same as a parent to a child with special needs, but just let you know you are doing your best. The fact that you worry about it is a good sign.
Also, EFF other people! So what if they think you are being a "bad" mom, most people who think that probably aren't parents, and have no clue what they are talking about. And if they are parents, they also have no clue what they are talking about, because they don't know YOUR struggles. I know it is hard to let go of other people's perceptions, especially with parenting, but you are doing the best you can. I barely have patience for repeated temper tantrums, and the constant throwing themselves on the ground and not moving, and the hitting of me....
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Thanks so much for the support. It's just hard, too, when my H is like, "Every kid is frustrating" and shares stories his friends have about their NT kids. While my T understands that my daughter is more challenging. She's on the high-functioning end of the spectrum and can be cute and silly and sweet much of the time, but when she's having a bad time of it, it's really rough. I also try so hard not to express any anger or frustration at her (unlike my H, who will yell at her and stuff), so when I do kind of snap and end up screaming at her, then I beat myself up, too.
As for what you said about other people, ever since I've had her, I've had this weird paranoia about someone calling CPS on me (I'm sure it's related to my anxiety and/or OCD). Like when she was really little, I had her out in a stroller on maybe a 50-degree (F) day, and a neighbor was like, "She needs to be wearing a hat!" And I wasn't even wearing a jacket, and I let that get to me like, "Oh, no, am I being negligent? Is she going to report me?" Which of course is ridiculous, but when she's almost 5 and screaming and running away from me, as I'm trying to grab her and calm her down, which might look forceful from the outside (she's incredibly strong!), I worry someone will think I'm harming her and call someone about it.
I will say that now that I'm a parent, I definitely have changed my perspective when I see kids, say, in the store or a restaurant acting up. I tend to look at the parent with a sympathetic eye and a caring smile, and I appreciate when other parents (or just people used to dealing with kids) do the same to me.
And, wow, you must have an amazing amount of patience to work with a class of 2-year-olds all day! Even if you think you don't. Pretty sure I'd want to run screaming from the room after a few hours and not come back. But that's also why I'm not a preschool teacher!
