My two toddlers

Did you know I have 2 toddlers in my house? Yep! The Little Big Fella and my inner toddler.

My inner toddler throws tantrums really well!

She eats food she knows isn't good for her, even when she's so full she feels sick.

She refuses to go to bed, even when her eyes are sore and closing all by themselves.

She wants to play instead of doing what needs to be done.

The problem is, just like with the Little Big Fella, disciplining my inner toddler is hard! It takes energy, especially when I'm tired. It takes focus and attention, when there's so many other things to do. It's another demand in a day full of demands.

But, just like with the Little Big Fella, when I relax the rules for my inner toddler, she starts to push the boundaries a little bit further... then a little bit more... then she runs all the way over them as fast as she can and I have to chase her down!!!! And then I have to clean up after her.

It's messy and exhausting!

However, when I set the rules and make sure they're followed, life flows a little easier and the peace and happiness in the household grows. Negative self-talk is diminished too.

And despite the fact that I know this about both my toddlers, I get lazy and choose to let things slide. And then I start kicking myself for letting things go so far because it's always so much harder to put the discipline back in place than keep it there the whole time.

I suspect this will be a cycle throughout my life though, which is kind of depressing. And kind of reassuring, because it doesn't matter how out of control I let things get, I know that it IS possible to get back to that place of peaceful co-existence in my household... it just takes a bit of work.