How will I learn to say “No” to little requests that end up snowballing and costing me my serenity?
It began yesterday when I said Yes to my ex’s request to bring our son home a day early. I didn’t have groceries for his lunch yet and I had an early morning meeting the following day but I thought I could make it work. Then I said Yes to my ex again when he asked why I couldn’t call my son’s phone in the morning to ensure he got to the bus, instead of him doing it. That ended with a missed bus ride and a $14 cab fare when I failed to call on time. Then I said Yes to my son tonight and stopped at Safeway at 9 p.m. to pick up bread and sandwich meat because Zoodles don’t heat up in the school microwave. The net result was that I arrived home after 9:30, found my kiddo still awake playing in his phone.
I layed down the law, sent him to bed upset, made his lunch, postponed my shower til the a.m., spent 20 minutes setting up emergency contacts on kiddo’s phone and changing his password so he couldn’t play games. All the while, I cursed my ex and then myself. Then I wrote kiddo a note of apology for losing my nut which I now have to remember to leave by his bed in the morning. I am going to bed with a headache, a gut ache, and a load of guilt all because if one little frickin yes.
in my messy head 