Irritation With Kids

Sometimes my children bounce off the walls. They aren't really behaving badly, they are just being energetic children. But it irritates me. I get crabby and frustrated and try to make them STOP. Basically what I want them to do is be little adults. Hello, they aren't. So as they were doing their evening ritual of playing loudly and having a good time I sat and pondered why it drives me nuts. This is what I came up with:

• I'm jealous. They can run and jump and have a great time and still have energy and it doesn't hurt them. My body aches all over and with one jump I need a nap.
• I have to be concerned for safety and they don't give it a second thought. I can't afford more bandaids.
• If something is broken it is me that is responsible to fix it and train them better.
• And I don't want to be responsible, I want to play too, with no consequences.
• It's loud and I am so tired and old, that I LIKE silence.
• Somehow sharp small objects always end up on the floor of the hallway at night and I get to step on them in the middle of the night when visiting the restroom. In a household of small adults this would almost NEVER be a concern.
• Sometimes people do get hurt, emotionally and physically and it never occurs to them. I have to always be diligent.
• And I am so tired, I get tired of being diligent. And they always want to play around me when I have just settled down into a comfortable position.

So thinking about this I see it really is a problem within myself of my own selfishness. Now I do think that there is a time and a place to be wild and have fun. But if the only reasons I have for them not doing so at a certain time is because of ME than I need to keep my mouth closed and let them be children for as long as they can. Life will make them tired, old and cranky soon enough. For now they can be free.