Hiding tips

When in doubt...hide!

There are times during the day when I just need a break. I need a few minutes to just get away. Even when the kids are behaving well, I still need a few minutes here and there to myself. The boys have all been on their best behavior lately. We have worked on some stuff (ok, I have worked on not losing it so easily with them) and there has been a significant decrease in whining. From them as well!

There are still times, however, when I need quiet. I need to take a breather and, for just five minutes, not have little ones hanging on me needing drinks, snacks, toys, their noses wiped, their faces clean, their diapers changed, etc.

So, I hide.

I lock myself in the bathroom, sit on my closet floor, or pretend I'm doing laundry in the laundry room. I'm not trying to get away from my kids, I am just trying to find a quiet spot. I usually find them something to do, sneak the computer away, and hide.

It takes them no time at all to find me, but they have figured out not to bother me too much. Cade will knock on the door and ask what I'm doing and I'll make something up. This usually will buy me five more minutes. Anything is better than nothing.

I have different places I go depending on who is home and how much time I need. When I get a phone call, I usually go in the closet. My closet is in my bathroom so there are more doors for the kids to have to go through to find me. There is also a small "hall" between TJ's closet and mine so I can sit back there because the kids usually forget that part exists.

When the older kids are here and I don't want to be bothered, I hide in the laundry room. I do this because if the kids think I'm really doing laundry, they wont come in there in case I decide to put them to work.

When I want a little extra time, I hide in the bathroom. The boys usually think I'm taking a shower and think know I can't hear them if they're knocking on the door or screaming my name...over and over again!

When they start getting older, they'll realize what I'm doing. Hopefully, by then, they'll understand why I'm doing it. Maybe then I wont need to hide because they'll be self-sufficient and I wont be needed as much.

Wishful thinking? Yeah, I thought so...

My boys are great, they're the best things that have ever happened to me. They're still young though, they still need me for everything, they still depend on me to do what is best for them. So until they grow up a little, until they can start doing a little more by themselves, I will continue to hide. Trust me, this is what is best for them right now. It doesn't make me a bad mother, it makes me a smart one I think. A few minutes alone makes me happier which in return, will make them happier!

*Cole's hair cracks me up in this picture. He just woke up from a nap and his hair was wild!*

There are times when I'll be hiding and I'll hear a crash, a scream, or continuous fighting and that will be a premature end to my quiet time. For instance, the sound I just heard means one of the kids just knocked something off the shelf in the living room. It sounds like my "shower" is done for the day.