i am a great mom.
I am qualified to give advice, diagnose childhood rashes, talk you through a tonsilectomy recovery and chronic ear infections, and how to survive sleepless nights. thrush, croup, pneumonia, jaundice, speech delays, and ear tubes.
and then other days i get all butt hurt because a friend i love says she has issues with feeding kids ramen noodles.
don't get me wrong, it's not a staple here by any means, i mean, we have some in the pantry, because it's easy, it's cheap, and the kids can make it themselves, AND in an emergency it's a warm meal. no, it really has no nutritional value. i get that. all that sodium, no protein. whatevs.
i don't even cook it, the hubs does. or the kids hork down cup o' noodle.
sidebar: i have a rad video of the baby falling asleep eating his ramen at the table. it's taking forever to upload so i'll post a link when it finishes.
anyway. instantly i felt like a mom fail because i feed my kids ramen. and then i remember, they love their veggies, they could do without ever eating pizza again. they ignore candy and cookies and pick fruit as healthy snacks all on their own and eat it constantly and beg for fruits and veggies at the store.
so I don't suck.
then i saw a thing on Pinterest. 27 encouraging phrases for kids. i looked at it , but before i did, i thought, yeah i have a list i use. it's not 27 phrases. but it sounds like this....
You are capable!
I believe in you. you can do this!
You can do hard things.
You are awesome!
see, encouraging. stellar mom right here.
and sometimes when it's warranted i tell them...
don't be a douche bag.
it sounds harsh but it's all encompassing and I mean-
- hold the door for people, be nice to the new kids, smile at people and say Hi, if someone needs help, help them. be kind to everyone, don't leave people out. Don't put people down to make yourself feel good. treat others as you want to be treated. share. take turns.
then I offer advice...
stand up straight.
eww you have a zit, let me get that for you. (it's an act of service, Don't judge)
put your deodorant on.
wear some cologne or perfume, no one likes a stinky kid.
OMG when was the last time you showered!?! go wash your hair!
Brush your teeth.
i also tell them "thanks for coming, have a nice day" as a way of dismissing them from my presence.
I sympathize and say, "sad panda" when they don't get their way.
Pierce reminded me, when he has the "i wants" and harasses me over and over again, i say,"well i want a million dollars but I'm not gonna get it! you can't always get what you want" and i sing.
I believe playing video games with words you have to read, counts as reading time. it's even better when they have to type too.
After 15 years of mom delight I have learned to pick my battles.
ramen, isn't the worst thing they could eat for a meal.
Cookie dough from the pillsbury tub MIGHT be. (they had that tonight. life goes on.)
I made soup, they opted out and served themselves.
gold star for food prep for themselves, and another gold star for cleaning up.
who are we kidding? i had a glob or two myself. i did use a different plastic utensil for each spoonful.
i said i'm a good mom, i never said i was environmentally friendly.
There we are, an excellent example of motherhood.
don't sweat the small stuff, the most important thing is being there, holding them, loving them and remembering they are only little for a short time, enjoy it. and by the way, it doesn't get easier.
I thought i was crazy when I had 4 kids under 4. turns out, those were the good times. nothing to do but entertain the herd with zoo trips, museum passes, and spending all day at the mall.
now i'm crazy, all i do is drive taxi service and run people places. it doesn't get easier, it is just different, and more expensive. and they remember everything i do wrong and talk back. OY teenagers!
sometimes i think i would take a herd of toddlers anyday over this good time.
but then, i like to dress up the diva and help her with make up. I like talking about friends and teen romances with my kids.
the trick is to enjoy the stage of life you are in.
embrace it.
and remember....
huge hugs and mama love, Crazymama
© 2013 crazymamaof6
Love this! I would ask you anytime for advice on motherhood!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree 100%. We all have those moments where we reflect on something we said or did. But really...think about your childhood. We all survived in spite of our parents and lives to tell all the tales. My kids being happy adults is how ill know I was successful.
ReplyDeleteLove it! Gasp, my four year old is addicted to Kraft mac n cheese. The horror!
ReplyDeleteDinner tonight was Mac and Cheese with canned green beans. At least I got some veggies in right??
ReplyDeleteI totally agree especially about the easier stage and bring in the car all the time. That stage where I had four under five was exhausting but I miss being home. Now I just drive and drop off and long for just one day not full of dead lines, homework, lessons and stress. Who knew! But... Embrace it I now know I will desperately miss this too!!
ReplyDelete