This parenting thing aint easy

Parenting is such a difficult thing. And once you have kids, it's not like it ever goes away. I see my mom and Teddy, each time they're here, they're still parenting to me and Steph. Gracie and the amount of attention that she has been or will be getting when the twins come is obviously a concern. We want to be mindful of the fact that she needs just as much of our attention as the boys do. Not having ever gone through this before, it is difficult for us to recognize all of the moments, good or bad, and then of course feel like we're doing the right thing. These past 7 weeks have been long and it has been a stressful transition on everyone's lives, not the least of which is Gracie's. The balance between not caving in and just going with the 'easy' solution is hard. She is very fitful when she doesn't get what she wants, be it a toy or a Dora plate or to play at the park or three people patting her to sleep at night. Now, I personally don't think it's just the fact that she's not getting what she wants that is causing her fits. There has been a lot going on and who knows what kind of impact the last 9 months have had on her. So, the question always is when do you give in and when do you not? To me, these are mostly rhetorical questions and I have no doubt that Stephanie and I have a handle on the right thing to do, the right way to parent without raising a little brat/hellion. It's all about being consistent. Consistent in our messages, in our love, in our punishment, in everything, I believe it's all about consistency. But that is hard. This whole thing is hard.