Why is it that the kids always run through the house like howler monkeys just when I’m tired and cross? Usually this event occurs right at homework time or bedtime. The activities include couch acrobatics, pillow fights, poking with pencils, stealing of blankies, giggling, shrieking, running, thumping, thrown water, and door slamming. It always always always ends up with someone crying. Tonight Link ended up in tears because Gleek sprayed him in the face with cleaning solution. On purpose. Fortunately the solution in question is no more dangerous than shampoo, but about as painful.
The only way to stop possession by howler monkeys is to sequester the children into separate rooms. Unfortunately each child has to be corralled and sequestered individually rather than en masse. So while I’m changing howler-possessed Patches into pajamas and plunking him into bed, howler possessed Kiki, Link, and Gleek run amok. Hence the spraying with cleaning solution.
Fortunately for my nerves tonight, the Cleaning Solution Incident seemed to banish the howler monkeys. Snack and bed were able to follow in relative peace.
When I am on the ball I can usually prevent Howler Monkey Possession. I have to be one step ahead of the kids all evening to manage it. I have to have dinner ready before they realize they are hungry. I have to have homework ready to go before they are done with dinner. I have to have an activity ready for Gleek so that she doesn’t go howler while I’m putting Patches to bed. I have to separate Kiki’s homework space from Link’s so that they don’t go howler while I’m putting little kids to bed. If I fumble any of these steps, one child will prod another and I’ll have a cascading possesion on my hands. This of course answers my question. They go howler when I’m tired and cross because my tiredness prevented me from staying one step ahead.
We’ve had lots of howler evenings lately. My brain has been so tied up preparing to mail books and figuring out courses of action based on numbers of books sold, that I haven’t been paying much attention to the kids. They like this because they get to play during times I should be making them work. Unfortunately the work piles up rather than going away. Then we all end up cranky, in a messy house, with hours of homework to do, and dinner not ready yet.
Sometimes the kids get wired this way on evenings when the house is clean and I don’t feel stressed. I kind of enjoy the howlers on those evenings. I remember nighttime romps with my brothers and sisters. We’d all be in our pajamas and my older siblings would actually play with the littler ones, something they frequently distained to do during the day. Those romps lie golden in my memory. I’m glad that my kids are building a similar pattern of memories. But I’d be gladder if there was more clean house romping and less Invasion of the Howler Monkeys.
Howler monkey possession … so THAT’s the explanation.
I wish we had separate rooms to segregate ours into, but they all share one room. Rooms are in short supply around here. The ensuing nerve-wearing abundance of howler monkeys is, I suppose, predictable.
Howler monkey possession … so THAT’s the explanation.
I wish we had separate rooms to segregate ours into, but they all share one room. Rooms are in short supply around here. The ensuing nerve-wearing abundance of howler monkeys is, I suppose, predictable.
Now THAT’S a good explanation!
Let’s face it, don’t we recognize our own kids when we are watching Nature programs? We know exactly what’s going to happen…
Oh, see? That monkey brother is going to want what his sister has, and then they’ll fight and then they won’t go to their nest to sleep and their monkey mom is going to get cranky with them…oo oo oo EE EE EE!!!
🙂
Now THAT’S a good explanation!
Let’s face it, don’t we recognize our own kids when we are watching Nature programs? We know exactly what’s going to happen…
Oh, see? That monkey brother is going to want what his sister has, and then they’ll fight and then they won’t go to their nest to sleep and their monkey mom is going to get cranky with them…oo oo oo EE EE EE!!!
🙂
Cleaning solution, eh? Thank goodness it wasn’t worse. I’m glad the incident banished the Howler Monkeys for the day.
Man, that’s such a terrific description of what happens to them, I think I’m moving it into my personal lexicon. Next thing you know, my very literal child will be shouting at me “I’m NOT A HOWLER MONKEY! I don’t have a TAIL!” when he’s been possessed…
Cleaning solution, eh? Thank goodness it wasn’t worse. I’m glad the incident banished the Howler Monkeys for the day.
Man, that’s such a terrific description of what happens to them, I think I’m moving it into my personal lexicon. Next thing you know, my very literal child will be shouting at me “I’m NOT A HOWLER MONKEY! I don’t have a TAIL!” when he’s been possessed…
I don’t get Howler Monkey possession… I get Lawyer possession. Consider yourself lucky.
I don’t get Howler Monkey possession… I get Lawyer possession. Consider yourself lucky.
I have that as well.
I’m not sure if I agree with the possession metaphor. It seems to indicate there is nothing one can do to prevent it to some readers. It is preventable but one must be viligant and can not get wholly absorbed in to something else.
I have that as well.
I’m not sure if I agree with the possession metaphor. It seems to indicate there is nothing one can do to prevent it to some readers. It is preventable but one must be viligant and can not get wholly absorbed in to something else.