The Mean Mom

So lateley Karsen and I have been really struggling with our oldest son Jayden.  His whole life he has been a very easy going, happy and all around good kid.  Then he turned 8. I honestly feel like now he does every and anything that he can do to push my buttons.  And its working!!!   I have spent a lot of time talking to my mom and friends to see what to do to handle it.  The main theme that I have gotten from them is when I say Im gonna do something, I need to stick with it.  Okay, .......confession time.  I do not always do what I say or threaten to do so I can see why this attitude is my fault to some extent.  Basically I have to just be as my friend Angela says "the mean mom"

Anyway, yesterday was a particularly trying day with arguments ranging from homework to cleaning his room to talking back.  A particular comment that he said sort of set me off.  When I told him that he needed to do what Heavenly Father asked and honor his mom and dad, he looked at me and yelled "But Mom, That is IMPOSSIBLE!!!  I had to leave the room after that one.  So as I was stressing about how to deal with it I thought of the mean mom thing and decided to channel my inner mean mom. I decided that I was gonna ground him from a boat race that his scout troop is doing and that I HAD to stick with it.

So I sat him down and told him that  I wasnt very happy with the behavior that he had been having.  I told him that now that he was 8 and baptised, it was his responsibility to make the right choices. And that the way he was acting is Satans way of sneaking into his life to cause problems.  Then I dropped the bombshell of him not being able to go to the boat race.  Holy teenage girl like freakout!!!!  He proceeded to tell me that I was a .....wait for it.... Mean Mom.... and that I never let him do anything fun...yada yada yada.  Essentially by the time he was done with the accusations and tears I felt like a total creep.   But I stuck to my guns (pat myself on the back moment) and told him that I love him and that it is my job to teach him responsibility and that is the way that I am doing it. 
Anyway, the next morning when he woke up,  he was a complete delight.  I didnt have to yell or get after him at all.  Thus far it seems to have taught him (and me) a very good lesson.
When he went to school today he even gave me a hug and kiss and said "Mom your the BEST mom ever!!".....at least when Im not being mean I guess

My sweet boy and his daddy on  baptism day.  Could he be any cuter??