United front: a coalition formed to oppose a force that menaces the interests of all the members
Coup: a highly successful, unexpected act
United front vs coup: A coalition formed to oppose a highly successful, unexpected act, that menaces the interests of all the members
5pm rolls around, you leave the 2nd shift (aka your 9 to 5) and begin the PM 5 to 9 shift. Today was a long day, you’re running low on patience and energy and the rush hour traffic is eating into your reserves. With the retrieval of each child and the ding of your gas gage indicating you won’t make it home without stopping for fuel, you sense something is brewing.
As you enter your home, an uprising over homework takes center stage as the youngest of the bunch clings to your ankles in a desperate attempt to have your attention. As you open your refrigerator and realize you are missing the main ingredient for tonight’s dinner, it becomes apparent that a coup has taken place. All of the unexpected acts of the shift have culminated into an event that has successfully hit you with a knockout punch.
This is a crucial moment. You either succomb to the coup and turn into Frankenstein or you organize a united front. First step, fix the food problem. When bellies are satisfied, the world is a better place. Whether it’s calling a spouse to pick up dinner, a pizza place that delivers or that frozen meal stashed in the bottom of the freezer, you must solve the food problem. The homework uprising must be squashed. We do not negotiate with terrorists, I mean minors. So you put your foot down and tell them to get busy or they’ll be some type of consequence. As for the ankle clinger, there is no other option but to give them your attention, which you can do now that problems 1 and 2 have been addressed.
10 Minutes with the youngest, the rest busy working on homework, and dinner on its way to the table. The PM shift is probably the more hazardous of the two shifts, but being able to think quickly and use whatever resources are available, can save your PM shift from the negative effects of a coup. As 9 o’clock rolls around, what could have been a disaster, has turned out to be a success, and you are more than ready to clock out and commence the after hours.
