Sep 27 2008
Bad Mommy Moments, Joining the Ranks
Certainly we all have our moments. We’re human. Occasionally in our catalog of stellar parenting accomplishments there are some less than shining moments shamefully tucked away, never to see the light of day.
Fess up, ladies. We can’t all be June Cleaver, or Carol Brady, or Claire Huxtable.
So taking a hint from Kia over at Good Enough Mama, I’m summoning the courage to share some of the reasons why I could possibly be the world’s worst mother.
1. Several years ago while I was carrying my son on my hip and cooking something on the stove, I accidentally bumped him up against a blazing hot frying pan. He still has the “C” shaped scar on his elbow from where he lost the skin.
2. Every one of my four children at one time or another has rolled off my bed, luckily suffering little or no injury.
3. I only attempted to breastfeed two of my four babies. Both times I quit after less than a week.
4. I’ve always let my kids fall asleep while sucking down a bottle full of milk. Thankfully they’ve all been blessed with incredibly strong teeth and have not developed any cavities as of yet.
5. All my kids sucked pacifiers well into their third years. The only reason my youngest does not rely on one is because he always refused to use them.
6. From the time he learned to roll over at three months, my youngest baby has always slept on his stomach.
7. Yes, I let my almost two year old watch TV. Sometimes for hours at a time, contrary to AAP recommendations.
8. This is totally reflexive, but at times when my children go into lengthy narrations about Godzilla battles or middle school politics or dream sequences involving dinosaurs and dragons, I have been known to switch into auto-pilot mode and proceed to nod and uh-huh while not actually listening to a word they’ve said…sometimes it happens with my husband too, but that’s a whole other post.
9. I have been known to give my children junk food substitutes for actual meals. Cookies to replace that meatloaf they didn’t like, chocolate because the mac and cheese did not please their palate.
10. I rarely force my kids to do chores, I know it helps teach them responsibility and would aid me tremendously, but it doesn’t seem worth the argument and half the time I feel like I can probably get it done faster myself.
11. I do not bathe my children every day. I wipe them down if they need it, but they don’t get lathered up on an off day unless it’s a dire emergency - I’m talking body fluids here.
12. I often let my kids watch PG-13 rated stuff. My five year old has been a fan of the Jurassic Park movies since he was three. He doesn’t even flinch when a dinosaur chomps down on a hapless victim. He understands it’s the magic of Hollywood and occasionally a little blood needs to be spilled.
Alright. Shake your collective heads in disgust. I understand. Thankfully, my children are surprisingly well behaved and well adjusted. Not that they have me to thank obviously, but I love the little critters with every ounce of my being and maybe sometimes that and good intentions are enough to get them through their formative years.
At least I’ve never lost one.
