Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Stockholm Syndrome


CAUTION : Irritated Mom. The following may contain less than loving comments. Any lack of adoration or joy is completely and wholly the truth.

Can someone please tell me how I can share in one breath the joys and moment to moment delights of being a mom, and all of a sudden "BAM!" I can only see through eyes of irritation, frustration, and simmering anger?

“Can we have anything nice?” Is the constant mantra from my husband Paul. I hear these words when he tries to start our car amidst an array of stray papers, Mcdonald toys and sticky cupholders. I hear these words when the sound of our children slamming any door in the house, rings in our ears (this includes kitchen cabinets, sliding doors,pocket doors and car doors.)

I opened our kitchen pantry the other day to find the peanut butter (picture above) with Reynolds Wrap being used as a type of lid-sling for the broken top.

What makes this so curiously intersting is this: there is a hole in the middle of the lid. Not a crack on the side, not a chip around the rim, but a hole in the middle of the plastic lid.

Do my children have access to some type of drill or peanut butter skillsaw, that I am not aware of? Today, when I went to turn on my kitchen faucet, the handle came off in my hand. The guilty suspect is a 13year old boy we call "son". I have watched him use this faucet in ways that would earn a pat on the back from any NASCAR driver.

Irritated. Annoyed. Frustrated. You bet your tooshie I am. I feel like an abused woman, "But, I love them!" I silently scream. I need them. I couldn't survive without them.

It got me to thinking, what I'm feeling may possibly be "Stockholm Syndrome". Now, before you roll your eyes hear me out. I looked this syndrome up in the dictionary.

Stockholm syndrome n. A psychological condition in which hostages or victims of kid-nappings (my emphasis/hyphen added) sometimes develop positive feelings towards their captors, on whom they depend for their survival.

C'mon, admit it, you know it sounds like a completely logical explanation.



Originally posted 11/14/07

12 comments:

Mari said...

Ha! You are so funny. Just remember - this is probably payback for what you did to your parents!

aspiritofsimplicity said...

To funny. I came home one time to find that a container of fluffanutter (marshmallow creme) had exploded IN the cabinet! Science experiment gone bad? We will never know.
It is so nice to hear someone talking about something other than how perfect their children are. With all these perfect children and parents out there one would think we were all raising robots on prozak!

Cheri said...

You are hilarious! But I think you might be on to something :)

Terri Tiffany said...

LOL Been there done that one!!:)

Karen said...

This was so good!

Braley Mama said...

Ha! I must admit to yelling the exact phrase "CAN'T WE HAVE ANYTHING NICE"!!!!!!!
After my littles destroy my favorite pillow sham, or our new, to us, couch!

Jamie said...

Hi Joanne, I know we have never met, but I so enjoyed reading your blog entries! I laughed when I read about your peanut butter skillsaw! Thanks for being honest about motherhood (and it's relationship to Stockholm Syndrome)!!!

mariel said...

aaah, the joys of children! a blessing, gift and heritage of the Lord. ;)

North Jersey Christian Writers Group said...

Ahhh! I remember those days well. Ooops, I mean, I'm living them again! The kids are back from college!

It's hard to imagine, but someday you'll miss these days. I did. For 8 months. They're baaacccckkkk!
And I love it. I'm Mrs. Stockholm.

Denise said...

You make me smile.

Christina said...

Yeah I have no idea how children (and husbands, at times) destroy things the way they do. However, I am guilty of bashing glasses together as I'm loading the dishwasher (and breaking them!)

Unknown said...

Joann, I'm glad to hear that we're not the only ones who periodically have to re-attach our plumbing fixtures. It mystifies me that my kids' water faucet knob in their shower falls off every few months for the past four years while mine and my husband's never has, even though it's the same kind! What do they do to the thing???

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