One party after another

It's hard enough for me as an adult to remain in prime form when one party is followed by the next...constantly.

We have house guests this week.  10 at the moment.  So it's like a constant party. It makes me tired just seeing that many people.  But the hardest part is that Miss 13 quickly forgets the lessons she has learnt and slips back into bad habits.

She makes 'mean' comments instead of nice ones, she gives lip when it isn't needed. The tone in her voice dictates attitude, not respect.  Don't get me wrong, she is doing really, really well.

I've been reflecting on why it is that she slips back into old habits while there are people around, and not when it's just the three of us at home.  I have a wondering.  I wonder if it is that having people around reminds her more of being at 'home'.  Where she constantly had to demand attention if she wanted it - no matter if that was positive or negative attention.  The need to be defensive, because if she wasn't - she got the blame.  The need to boss people around, because if she didn't she had to do it. The need to get give attitude to others, so that they didn't give it to her first.

I hope that is all it is. And I hope that when she looks back on this fortnight, she will look back and think "Oh it wasn't so bad after all. No one forgot me. No one left me out" Maybe the next time will be a little more simple.