Parenting is for not for the weak

There was an old woman that lived in a shoe,

She had so many children she didn't know what to do,

She gave them some broth without any bread,

Then she whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

Child rearing has come along way since then I do believe. There's no way we'd live in shoes in this day and age.

All joking aside, I'm trying to be a better parent these days I really am. I'm reading "How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk" by Faber & Mazlish, and I like it immediately because it starts off by saying - I was a wonderful parent before I had kids. What a great line! I need this book I really do. I want to get and give respect and I want to have Jack do something without threatening him with physical violence or bribing him. Last week in Target, after 20 minutes of shopping, he started yelling that he wanted to go home and I said "pack it in Jack or I'll take you out to the car and leave you there" joking obviously and thinking no one was around and there stood a man, looking at me like he was just waiting to call the police on his cell phone should I even try to abandon my child in the parking lot. At that precise moment Jack said, "no you won't Moma, someone might steal me". Little monkey.

So anyway, I'm hoping this book will help me. But I've tried once so far and not been too successful. This is what happened ..

Me - Jack, time for bed honey!

J - I don't want to go to bed

Me (acknowledge his feelings) I know you'd like to stay up, but you can't

J- Why? I don't want to go to bed

Me (explain, keep it brief) To rest your body. Got a big day tomorrow! Come on, bed..

J - NO

Me - (nuts, now what? I know, I'll bribe him) I'll read you lots of stories

J- NO

Me - Bedroom now Mister!

J- NO

Me - Get in your room NOW or no stories. NOW!!

and so on and so on until all kinds of spanking is suggested and he cries and stamps into his room and I feel like crap. Maybe it'll get better when I get to Chapter 2.

I don't want to make it sound too bad because it isn't. Me and Jack are usually partners in crime and tonight he gave me a lovely gift for Mothers Day. I just wish I was better at dealing with "toddler stuff".