Why do I argue?

There are times in my life that I find myself arguing with my children...it's a terribly slippery slope than I don't realize I'm on until I'm so stressed that my shoulders are around my ears and my neck is as stiff as an oak tree. Somewhere in the middle of me explaining why...it hits me, "Why am I arguing...just do what I said." "Why, because I said so!"

And the older they get the better they get at involving me in these banters...now granted, I think that children should learn to have opinions and be able to voice what is on their mind, however, there is a time and a place for everything and when I'm telling you to go do your homework upstairs and you want to argue about the decibel level in your room from the wind as opposed to the decibel level in the kitchen from brothers, TV, Ipod and dog is not one of those times. When I'm telling you to put your PJ's on because it's time for bed is not one of those times, when you are instructed to finish your milk,put your coat on, go to the bathroom, buckle up...none of these times are the right time to voice your argumentative opinion.

Yet, I will in moments of weakness entertain the arguments. I continually say things like, "Because..., because..., because..." I always hated when my mother would say, "Because I said so!" but as an adult I can appreciate that declarative sentence immensely. Sometimes that's all you can say as a parent because to explain the details of why and how you came to the decision you have arrived at is too exhausting, won't be understood and frankly doesn't need to be explained.

So I'm shaking my head and wondering how I've fallen down this slippery slope fighting to right myself and my children are shaking their heads wondering why their reign of terror and control has come to an end.