Well, I have been alone in this parenting thing the last few days. DH has been working very late and so I have been doing it all myself. I don't mind it because as soon as I pick them up it is homework time, bath time, and then (my favorite) SLEEP TIME!! which means it is my wine time!!

Well, Thursday was a day from HELL!!! I could've killed DH for not being home on time. I got out of work on time, for a change, and decided it would be nice to pick up the kids early. Well, SD was upset, to the point of tears, because I picked her up earlier than usual. She was just about to do her homework at the after school camp and I ruined it for her On the way home she was crying and pouting that I came to pick her up early and I didn't give her a chance to finish her homework. Now she wasn't going to have the opportunity to play and/or watch TV, and will have to sit and finish :'(... whatever. I didn't say anything, I told her ok, and that next time I would wait until the very last minute to pick her up.

Once we got home she sat at the table and started her homework. Well, as I stated in previous posts, I don't like helping her with her homework because apparently I only make her upset. Well, you'd think I learned my lesson... You'd think... nope, why am I such an IDIOT!!! I ended up helping her, well TRIED to help her. I was cooking dinner, cleaning up a bit, doing the dishes, and paying attention to BS. Here come SD (in a little girls voice) "mommy, I need help with this problem" so I tell her I don't feel comfortable helping because the way they are teaching her math is not the same way we learned it, AND I don't want to confuse her. In her baby voice (because she thinks that a 10 yr old sound cute talking like a baby) "Mommy I need help, please help me!" So I give in... I walk to her and check what she is doing. I try and understand how they are teaching her to estimate a division...no luck. She gets soooo upset that she starts to slam her fists on the table and her face begins to contort. The schools in my state teach math the way the standardize test tests the kids, and so some of the techniques are new to me. Even DH, who is an accountant, get confused with how these kids solve math problems.

I continue to tell her that I don't feel comfortable helping her because it seems to make her more upset, but that TOO makes her upset. If I don't help, she gets upset... If I help her, she gets upset. I just never win with her. I wanted so badly to scream and yell at her, but nothing works with her, not when it is me doing the punishment. I am always the bad guy. When DH finally got home, he sat with her and when HE didn't understand she thought it was funny! WTF!!! She doesn't get upset when daddy doesn't get it and asks her to explain. She doesn't run off in a crying fit because he asks her to redo a problem because it's wrong.

Why am I such an IDIOT!! I know she doesn't respond well when I help her, so WHY did I even attempt to help?? Why do I do this to myself? I told DH that I AM NOT helping her with her homework anymore!! I don't care what she says or does. I am NOT putting myself thru that! I don't need her disrespectful attitude and her evil stares because I won't help her. He agreed that I don't have to help, it helps to know he agrees with me. The bad part, he wont get after her because he doesn't know how to handle that, especially because she always seems to act like that when he is out of the house.