So what was it for you? Was it the sanctimommy at the park who scolded you for giving your kid YoBaby, because it has too much sugar? Was it the mom yapping on her cellphone while her kid hit your kid over the head with his dump truck? Was it your kid's classmate with the $150 True Religion jeans in size 3T? Was it the nursery school tour that made you want to throw up in your mouth?
Tell us about your "mother load" moment that made you realize: this is all a little bit much. I'm not going to play in this sandbox anymore.
Shrek Belly
By: Anne K
We have three boys, ages 6, 5, and 3... and we just added the Princess Baby Sister, who is now 6months old. I go to bed daily wondering if everyone got an equal share/enough of Mommy that day. When the baby was a few weeks old, I had a rare opportunity to snuggle with the three year old, and we had "Shrek" on. He said, "Look Mommy! Shrek has a big belly just like you!"
Ugh.
If that's not gym-inspiration, I don't know what is!
Posted on 9/11/2007 10:40:32 AM
"The Hands are for Love"
By: Annalie Cummings
So 6 weeks postpartum I decided to do something about shedding my preggo pounds and joined a local stroller exercise class,
which in advertisements touted the benefits of being social with other moms, and getting some exercise at the same time. After a few weeks of sweating it out in the local park, and somehow allowing myself to be convinced by the high-roller mamas that only the $500 jogging stroller would really do, some of the moms decided to get together for a little playdate.
During the playdate we discussed different classic mother-group topics, and of course I got lots of raised eyebrows when I mentioned that we exclusively breastfed, used only cloth diapers, were into babywearing, and other various 'hippy mom' things I was doing, but hey, at least I was getting out and talking to other moms, right? Eventually, we wound up on the question of discipline. As it seems happens
often in groups of women, we soon got into the gossip session, and we started to critique the behavior of one of the other exercise mamas, who openly and regularly hit her children and scolded them very harshly
in front of us all in class, which I found
very disturbing. Only having a 3month old at the time, I made a comment that, "well, I'm not sure how we plan to discipline our baby when the time comes, but I can tell you I'm never going to hit him, that's for sure." Another mom then piped in, "yea, when I was growing up, my mother taught us that the hands are for love." Ah, at last, someone with my own parenting views! But then she added, "so we only hit Isaiah (her 12 year old son) with a spatula!" Yikes! Needless to say I soon feigned a baby-related departure need, and left the psycho moms to play with their spatula-reared
children on their own!
Posted on 6/10/2007 4:10:25 AM
Back to Work and Back Again
By: Debbie Kissel
I was a new mother with a 5 1/2 month old daughter. I had no clue what to do and no control over my emotions. Basically, I was a wreck. As the day grew closer to put my child in daycare (I'm a teacher), my anxiety level hit the roof. I did the little song and dance... went to meet her "teacher", took the tour, watched how happy all of the other children were. Blah, blah, blah. But I honestly wanted to die leaving my little newborn there! Was I supposed to feel comfortable with these new people who I met ONCE? So I cried every night for several weeks, but I made it. My daughter is now 14 months old and we are coming upon the end of our school years. Summer is here and we'll spend it together. Now should I feel guilty about the anxiety I feel about that? No more "me" time? No freedom? Eeeks! We all love our children, but we also love being ourselves.
Posted on 5/27/2007 11:28:01 AM
Definitely a girly girl
By: Lisa Zanoline
I have two daughters. One is turning 8, and the other 5. My little one is definitely a "girly girl". She is into having a plethora of chap-sticks, shoes and purses; whereas my 7 year old could care less. She is more of a "tom boy".
Well, now that the weather is becoming more spring than winter, my little one has been wearing her sandals almost everyday that I bought last weekend. She wanted to wear them today, but it was raining, so I told her to put on socks and sneakers. When I got her dressed, I put socks on her, and sent her downstairs to get her shoes and raincoat on. So, I finished getting myself ready, and had my older daughter finish getting herself ready to go. I have to be out of the house by 6:45am every morning to drop them off for daycare and school, and have time to drive to work.
Anyways.....we finally get out of the door, and I happen to look at down at my youngest daughter's feet,and see that she had sandals on! The stinker (and I wasn't thinking stinker at that moment) had taken off her socks and sneakers, and put sandals on. I guess she didn't think I'd catch it. So I marched her back in the house to get her socks and shoes on! UGH! In the car she says to me, "You NEVER let me wear sandals"!!
I just sighed, and said, "Yeah, I guess it is all just a figment of my imagination that you wearing them all week"!
Posted on 4/27/2007 10:45:52 AM
A Five Year Old homophobe hits the playground
By: Jessica Davis-Irons
We moved to Bayridge shortly after my son could walk which shortly preceded climbing and running. He's 20 months now. The playground is a little scary - lots of cliques and not many or any artists. Any way. My son was running around, and saw a pretty five year old girl with a little stroller and baby doll in it. He ran for her, he loves strollers. She waited til he got to her, and screamed no at him and ran away. Jacob, ofcourse, tottled after her. She again screamed no. Took his hand and said "This is for girls. You are gonna be gay." I'm not kidding. Where was her mother? I Have No idea.
Posted on 4/11/2007 10:53:16 AM