Living in a house with boys: the competition factor

Nothing ever happens in my house without competition. Asking the boys to brush their teeth results in a mad dash to the bathroom (complete with major pushing and shoving). Getting up in the morning results in a heated discussion about who got up first, who needs the least sleep, who had the scariest dream, who needed/didn't need a night light.... Eating results in an argument about who ate what fastest, who likes what best, who had what for lunch (usually, I make the lunches and they are all the same so I never get this one)... Going to the mailbox is a sprint/push/shove/yell/pout... Getting into the car is total craziness... They even compete about who is the first to know what the capital city of Nicaragua is... seriously ;)

Andreas, having been a boy, gets right into it. He teases them, riles them up and sets them against each other... and the boys fall for it EVERY FREAKING TIME!!! Sometimes, Andreas even competes with them... ugh! On the other hand, I- of the female/mother persuasion- just lose my patience... after all... WHO THE HECK CARES ABOUT BEING FIRST TO GET INTO THE STUPID CAR!!! The boys (all 4 of them) just look at me like I am from another planet... Don't get me wrong... I like competition... I play soccer... I like to win... BUT, in a sport, this is kind of part of the point- not the whole point though... there is also fun... and sportsmanship...and hanging out with friends... and developing skills.... and getting healthy... and earning my glass of wine ;) 

Maybe I should start to use the competition factor to get them to do the housework or put groceries away or make dinner... If I find some good earplugs, I won't have to listen to their yelling about being first.. and, if I have a pre-dinner cocktail, maybe I won't even care ;) Who will be first to put the dishes in the dishwasher? Who will be the first to do the laundry? Who will be the first to get into bed? ;)

Happy Friday to all xox

Random picture from the internet