I Thought I Was a Good Mom... Until I Had Children

I watched Oprah today, and I about started to cry. It's topic was about the fact that for some reason we are trying to "fool" each other that we are doing it all and doing it well as mothers. They had all these mom's reveal their dirty little secrets of motherhood....oh do I have many. So if Jessica grows up and may become a mother herself, I want her to know it is completely normal and okay to not have it all together all the time. So here it goes...these are a few of mine....

JUDGMENT FREE READING

*I sometimes put earphones on with music so I can tune out my kids for just awhile, especially during Spring or Summer break when we have no break from each other.
* I hide in the bathroom sometimes longer than I need to be there.
* I usually only mop when people are coming for dinner or my parents are visiting.
* Most days of the week I don't shower until 11am...if I even get to it that day.
* If the kids are fighting and it ends in Moooommmm, most times I purposely tune out and pretend I didn't hear them, hoping they won't keep calling me.
* If my kids are thirsty I make them drink from the bathroom sink. They are flipping camels!
* I am horrible at getting my kids to get in the bath....does the sprinkler count?
* I skip pages during story time to get through the book quicker.
* I don't give my kids Tylenol when they are sick or they won't rest....unless they have a horrible fever...I am not a beast.
* I won't play Barbies or anything of the sort.
* I give the crappy candy to the kiddo's and sneak the good stuff for me.
* Usually my list is only half completed on a daily basis.
* I have a live in babysitter...meet the T.V.
* Sometimes my house looks like every drawer and cupboard vomited everywhere.
* In the car sometimes I tell them to just stop talking for a moment, or pretend to play the quiet game for 5 minutes of peace.
* Sometimes there are no clean dishes and the kids have to eat out of Tupperware and serving bowls...they actually think this one is cool.

This isn't of course how it always is, I love being a mother....but "motherhood" isn't always peachy. But I want my darling Jessica to not be as hard on herself as I know my mom was on herself, and I am on myself. Maybe I can teach her to break the cycle of thinking you have to be perfect all the time. It all comes down to doing the best you can, even if means feeding your kids cereal for 3 meals of the day.

P.S. Thanks mom...