Mooooooommmmmmmmmm!

Sometimes that word makes me want to throw stuff.

Not the quick, 'hey Mom' version but the looooonnnnnggggg loud one that vibrates from one end of the house to the other.

This 'Mom' has nothing to do with me...it is about the idea of me. It is used when one child becomes annoyed with another. For example:

Magnuts & MonkeyBoy are playing Wii.

MonkeyBoy decides that Magnuts is too close to him and tells him to back off. When Magnuts, of course, ignores him or gets closer it is time to sound the 'Mom Siren.'

There is no expectation that I will materialize and smite the offending child...it is a warning system. Not a warning for me but for the misbehaving child that the alerting child is ready, willing and able to narc them out.

It. Is. Driving. Me. Nuts.

Ignoring it does not work...it is part of their design. If they really want my intervention I can hear it coming from a mile away...

Plaintiff: "OOOOWWWw! Why did you do that...I am telling Mommmmmm"

Defendant: "Shhhhhhhhhhhh....wait you're ok....don't go in there...wait you can play first...."

Then they find me and the blame begins. The Defendant, at this point, feels that the deal offered was rejected so now all bets are off. There will be no acceptance of responsibility only rabid denial.

Those situations are bad enough...but at least that 'Mommmmm' has a purpose.

About the 8th time the MomSiren sounded yesterday I snapped. Seriously. I walked into the den and laid it out for them:
"Quit screaming for me unless you are bleeding or something is on fire. If you need to talk to me or you are having a problem of some kind get your young little butt off that sofa and come to ME. "

So...my plan for the future is rid this house of the 'howler monkey' aspect and teach them better conflict resolution skills. Failing this...I will be locking up the Wii and buying ear plugs.