Need some gentle parenting advice
Ren
"The bottom line is that regardless of how I feel about the wallpaper...and I
DO hate it...we just bought this house two months ago and I want a house
that looks nice. So does my husband, so do my older girls."
Get over it.
Seriously.
You have a 3,2 and 1 year old right? If I'm mistaken, please correct me, but if those are the ages of the wallpaper peelers, there is no way they can developmentally understand respect for anyone's property. Not possible. Not even remotely.
At that age, you need to distract, find alternatives, guide etc...but it is NOT possible for them to actually understand respect for property. You're being unrealistic. And if you have expectations of a nice looking house with very little people around, you're just setting yourself up for frustration and problematic relationships.
You'll have the nice house one day, in the meantime, go for function and make sure your older girls, dh and yourself have spaces of your own that you can keep how you like. Personally, I've decided that if our home isn't focused on kid friendly, I don't want it.
These are the years to have blackboard or dry-eraser walls, big pillows that are comfy for tv viewing, beanbags, hammocks, lofts...whatever it takes to make your home a kid haven.
If you shift your focus to making the home wonderful, fun and liveable for ALL members, I think you'll find less frustration and feelings of anger towards the smaller people that are living with you.
Ren
"There is no way to
peace. Peace is the way."
~Quaker saying
DO hate it...we just bought this house two months ago and I want a house
that looks nice. So does my husband, so do my older girls."
Get over it.
Seriously.
You have a 3,2 and 1 year old right? If I'm mistaken, please correct me, but if those are the ages of the wallpaper peelers, there is no way they can developmentally understand respect for anyone's property. Not possible. Not even remotely.
At that age, you need to distract, find alternatives, guide etc...but it is NOT possible for them to actually understand respect for property. You're being unrealistic. And if you have expectations of a nice looking house with very little people around, you're just setting yourself up for frustration and problematic relationships.
You'll have the nice house one day, in the meantime, go for function and make sure your older girls, dh and yourself have spaces of your own that you can keep how you like. Personally, I've decided that if our home isn't focused on kid friendly, I don't want it.
These are the years to have blackboard or dry-eraser walls, big pillows that are comfy for tv viewing, beanbags, hammocks, lofts...whatever it takes to make your home a kid haven.
If you shift your focus to making the home wonderful, fun and liveable for ALL members, I think you'll find less frustration and feelings of anger towards the smaller people that are living with you.
Ren
"There is no way to
peace. Peace is the way."
~Quaker saying