brats.

I can not stand brats. And I'm not talking about the kind you eat, either. (You know, bratwurst.) Today my kids were TOTAL brats. They've acted this way before, but I am just getting tired of it. They are old enough to understand the difference between good and bad.

After I picked them up from school, we headed to *gag* Walmart to buy some treat bags for Trinity's birthday party, along with some other things. Everything started out fine, until Nat started doing her usual "run away from mom" thing, and she was going FAR. This kid will just take off like she's in a race or something. And sometimes I don't even see her leave. She has no concept of "strangers" and doesn't care to listen to me for anything. It makes me furious. I asked her numerous times to stay close, but she kept leaving. She did this through the entire store, and then the girls started fighting. So I stuck Trinity in the cart. This led to Nat running around the cart and up and down the aisles, teasing her sister. Trin just couldn't ignore it, so she stuck out her hand and hit her sister in the face as she ran by. Then the screaming started. AHHHH! Why can't my kids just listen?!

I finally started with the spanking and then I realized that the whole front of the store was looking at me. That's when I lost it. I just can't take the embarrassment that comes with having bratty kids. I had to get out of there-FAST. I dashed to the checkout line and paid for everything-except the treat bags that I came there for in the first place. It was probably $20 worth of goodies, but I was so ticked that I put them back. I told Trin that I was not going to buy her anything else for her party because of her behavior, and that if she did it again, her birthday party was cancelled. They say you have to follow through with your "threats" as a parent, or else it doesn't work. Well, this time I followed through with not buying the goods AND I am going to follow through with cancelling this party.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they didn't do this very often, but they do this EVERYWHERE we go! The mall, Target, Walmart, you name it! It's like going out in public means it's time for a "free for all." It drives me crazy. I feel like a bad parent. I feel like I have bad kids. I hope they read this one day and realize all the hell they put me through as kids!