I have what I affectionately like to call Sister or Jenny Karma. Sure, you've heard of Karma, the cycle of cause and effect. But I bet you have never heard of my particular brand. Jenny Karma is special kind that is reserved just for me and seems to relate exclusively to my life as a mother. It seemingly has no effect on my relationships with my husband, friends or family. Here's how it works: I make a judgement on my sister's parenting skills or methods. Even better I criticize her skills or methods to her face. And without fail I end up in the exact situation with my kids, sometimes worse. Otherwise known as having massive amounts of egg on my face.
A perfect example:
I, a childless auntie at the time, see the trouble my sister is having getting her kids to eat. They are picky eaters and she is at her wits end trying to get them to try different things. So I stupidly, and I am sure smugly, say "When I have children (note: any sentence starting this way should remain unsaid as you are dooming yourself!) they're going to eat everything that I put in front of them. If they don't they will just go hungry, I mean, they're not going to starve to death." My saint of a sister looks at me and just nods. She doesn't say what I would have wanted to say- "Uh, yeah, good luck with that, hope it works out for you."
Ho, ho! Fast forward 3 years or so and enter Maddox Jenkins, my beautiful son. THE pickiest eater the planet has ever know. The child is so stubborn in the eating arena that rather than eat anything other than his chosen favorites he will wait you out. He will not eat anything all day. You think I am kidding? This is no exaggeration- he went one day till 5pm and almost passed out before I finally broke. The point is Jenny Karma bit me back. The list go's on and on of the stupid things I said would never happen with me and my children only to find that the J. Karma slapped me upside the head and hard.
Yesterday was possibly one of the nastiest days I have had with Maddie. I was sick and sleep deprived and he was in a rip roaring mood, screaming at the top of his lungs, biting, kicking the dog and...uggh don't make me relive it...lets just say it was super bad. There was no nap people! And then it hit me. I had done it again. I specifically remember saying to my sister that she needed to be tough on her kids, spankings and such, if they were acting awful. I scoffed when she said that sometimes that just doesn't work and politely told me that some days are just like that with kids.
Ohhhh, you evil Jenny Karma! When will I learn to keep my mouth shut!!! The taste of shoe leather is bitter.
