There are many.  It used to be maddening but now I realize that kids are weird creatures and when they are your own, you mostly deal with the imperfections and enjoy the great moments that they give you.  When my 8 year old son is driving me nuts (like most of the time lately) I might think about when he and his older sister were playing with a castle and figures when he was three and she, five.  They had devised a battle of some kind.  Suddenly, Robert said “Look out!  Here come the lawyers!”  I still don’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing, the lawyers.  It was a funny thing, indeed.  As parents we have so many of those bits; some will be most boring to others, some will be gems.  So when MY kids drive me crazy, I might think like that; or lately the H and I are trying to remember that they are kids and our expectations might be unrealistic (like when we’re thinking “why are you so immature?”  about an 8 year old boy).

As for others kids, I find that I can get annoyed, especially if I know the parent and dislike their parenting style, or even disagree with it.  I know it isn’t fair to be annoyed with the kid herself, but at some point the responsibility of the kid’s personality does get divided between parent/child, right?  What I’m thinking is applying some new techniques I have in dealing with uncomfortable situations, people I have nothing in common with, or people who are making me angry:  try to place myself outside of myself, outside of my angry ego and accept what is in front of me, from a place that connects me with this situation or people.  Husband gave me this advice and he articulated it much better.  I can do that, it is much kinder and of course, children deserve kindness, well, everyone does.  And well, all children have their own “Here come the lawyers!” moments.