The Strong-willed child

Wow!  Wow is really all I can manage to say.  Over the last few weeks we have been struggling with a very strong-willed 5 year old.  I should have known he would turn out like this when he refused to sleep as a baby, or when he was running down the hallway at the hospital just hours after he got his tonsils out and ripped his IV right out of his arm when he was 2.  I should have known he would be strong willed when he would tell me exactly what cup he wanted to drink his milk out of and would not have it any other way or wanted to still take a bottle to bed with him even after he was too old for it. I have worn myself out with the struggle of trying to get him to calm down and not be the 5 headed monster he seems to have become when he does not get his way.  Almost daily I find myself crumbled in a ball on the floor with tears of exhaustion and feelings of failure.  Almost daily I find myself whispering prayers to God to help me to not loose my cool and to help me handle him at all.  Gosh, motherhood is hard!  It is the most exhausting, non-glamourous job anyone could have.  I have taken the abuse.  I have been kicked, hit, spit at, hated and told to leave all in one day!  I love my kids with all my heart and always thought I would be the perfect mom (well not perfect but at least great).  I have news for you all...definitely not happening.  Daily I seem to fail my children in one way or another.  Don't give them enough time and attention, yell too much, or love to little.  I know though that there is only one person who will never fail them.  I can only ask for patience and strength to get me through these times.  I will still fail my kids, probably daily but I am reassured that no matter what happens God will never fail them. In the meantime I will continue to ask God to give me what I need to get through this season (oh I hope it is a season and not a lifetime!)