Don't get me wrong, I'd like to consider myself a good parent. I'm really confident (thus far) that I'm doing a good job. I have a career that has given me uber experience, education and training in child development and parenting. I love helping people become better parents. I give a lot of parents a lot of advice on parenting issues---do I take all the advice myself?? Most of it, I actually do. But the truth is...I'm not perfect. (GASP!)
Number one, I have a husband. Not just any husband, but one who is a really good dad. He changes diapers. A lot of diapers. You'd die if you saw how many poopy diapers happen in our house. He does art projects with the children, and I don't even tell him to! He puts hair in pigtails and gives baths. He does 75% (he'd say 99%) of our laundry. The point is, I have help. He is a great dad, even when he does let the kids eat too many treats and forces them to call him G-Money. :)
Even though most of the time I execute discipline techniques as they should be done, guess what...sometimes I don't. Sometimes I'm so mad that I just scream at the children. More than once I've yelled so loud that my throat hurt. Am I proud of that? Not one bit, but it happened--and chances are, it will happen again. I've kicked toys across the room because I can't handle the mess. I've told the kids not to call me 'mom' because I don't want to be a mom today! See...none of those things a super-mom would do. None of those things are super. But all of those things are part of being a mom.
Sometimes, I walk right past the crumbs on the floor because I just simply can't bend over to pick up one more effing thing. Do you realize the mess you have feeding a 1 year old, two 2 year olds, a 5 year old and a 33 year old? Ooops, just kidding, honey. Maybe. I'm not going to lie--after working 8ish hours, coming home and heading straight into the kitchen, then eating---where let's be honest-- I'm up more than I am down because of the constant requests for more water, a napkin, seconds on the amazing meal I just slaved over, etc.....at the end of it all, I clean up, and that's it. When I go to actually play with the kids...I don't really care when I walk past that carrot (or tonight, the chips!) on the floor. I pray my dog will eat it. Which doesn't happen. It's disgusting sometimes. But there comes a time when I just don't feel like it. I'm sure my husband wishes I 'felt like it' more (in more ways than one)-- but too bad, so sad. See....a super mom would totally clean up food that she clearly saw on the floor. And sometimes, this mom doesn't. I'll get it tomorrow.
There are lots of other non super momish things I've done. I let my kids listen to Nicki Manaj and I think it's super cute when my one year old sings, "Super Bass". Instead of engaging in conversation, I've just nodded and said, "cool", when I am being told some make believe story--because I'm reading my facebook newsfeed instead. I've passed down my freakish anxiety of being late to Paisley and she now yells at the boys saying "Don't make me late for school you two!!" I've let my kids eat without washing their hands after playing outside. I'm actually okay if they eat dirt. It doesn't bother me. And this one time (at band camp), I shut the lights off and shut the door to the basement and didn't realize until about 3 minutes later when I heard a faint cry that Everleigh was still down there. Mom of the year right here.
So if you know me, and you've called me a super-mom before, I'm sure you now see otherwise. I'm just a normal person. Yes, I know more than the average on child development and positive discipline. I work two jobs and am really busy. I probably have more kids than many of you, and I post pictures on a blog. I'd like to think that my kiddos are respectful, polite and overall, really happy kids. I'm really proud of them, and I'm really proud of Craig and I, and the way we parent 97.2% of the time. But by no means am I superior to any of the other moms out there. Sometimes...I hate facebook and social media for that reason. You only see what people want you to see---they post all of these perfect pictures and all these great things they are doing with their children. It makes us feel abnormal when we just don't want to create some massive art project from Pinterest or guilty that the kids are three and we haven't (heaven for bid) taken them to Disney yet (which do not get me started on over-indulgence!) So know this--you might see my facebook pictures, or even my family blog and think....wow, she's super mom. But now you know better. I'm a mom of super kids, that's what I am. Yah, that's it! You could call me super-kid-mom.
For reals. I'm just a normal mom, who happens to have a crazy bunch of little kids. They make life beyond hectic and beyond beautiful. I try my best. Some days, I'm great. Some days, I suck at being a mom. It all evens out in the wash (that my husband will do).
In our house, we leave the super to Grover. For it is I, Super Grover! And I am cute too!
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