Nov. 21, 2009 - What kind of mother?
If you saw us today and thought "What kind of mother makes her toddler walk half-way around a huge lake in wet clothes and a stinky diaper?"...this would be my answer:
The kind of mother who feels terrible about the fact that her son's pants and boots are soaking wet and probably very cold.
The kind of mother who's son walked the first half of the lake dry and warm, and then disobeyed her and sat down in a stream at the exact mid-point of the hike so that she couldn't simply run him back to the car to change him.
The kind of mother who carefully dressed her children in warm clothes and boots suitable for mud stomping. The kind of mother who made sure to put a whole bag of clean clothes and diapers in the back, for just such an occasion. Only she couldn't get to her car when she needed it.
The kind of mother who never, ever properly gauges the amount of time it takes to walk nearly 3 miles with 3 boys who want to stop and look at every hole in the ground.
The kind of mother who was thinking about this because "What kind of mother...?" is a thought that often runs through her own mind, and a comment that she often sees and hears leveled at other women. Being a mom means it is incredibly easy to look bad to others, very difficult to look good to others (since there are so many ideas of "good mothering"), and easier than I'd like to forget that other mothers also have whole lives that lead up to and include the one bad moment I may see.
What kind of "What kind of mother....?" are you?
Comments
Nov. 21, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Sideways/Ruth
Well, let me see. My 38lbs son tackled his 22lbs cousin to the ground today and got on top of her. Her very over-protective dad was NOT pleased at all. Yes, we pulled him up then told him he couldn't play fight with cousin because she was to little.
Then 30 minutes later he screamed and shouted at his older cousin because she had the audacity to kick his ball. Her dad didn't like that either. So, he was reprimanded and we all did something else where there was no fighting.
I have many other stories... I didn't know he was going to throw up on me in the middle of the coffee shop. I didn't know he had an ear infection when I took him out shopping. I didn't know he had a thorn in his leg....
Boy it's tough when you're not omnipotent!
Nov. 21, 2009 - LOL
Posted by Katie in Ohio
I saw a mom today whose toddler had SOAKED his pants before she realized he needed a change. he was stalking around bowlegged because his legs were so wet. My DH and I looked at each other and thought "Yep, that happened to us last week" and laughed. Kids are just messy... any mom of boys will sigh in empathy...
Nov. 24, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
I'd say it makes you a real-life mom; not some sanitized, idealized, caricaturized mother from TV/MagazineLand.
~Wendy
