“You are going to miss this.”
People love to say this when you are having a bad day but I don’t care what you say I am not going to miss dirty dishes, scrubbing poop from the floor, fighting, screaming tantrums, piles of laundry, cleaning, and most of all being sick and trying to deal with all of the above.
“Stop working and just enjoy your children”
Although I love the suggestion I have a feeling having only dirty laundry, dishes, bodies, and house will start to catch up to us and I would be turned into social services.
“You look great for having six kids.”
All I hear when people tell me this is yes I do have extra weight but after having six kids they would expect even more fat.
“Oh I understand, I have younger siblings.”
I admit I am guilty of this one. The older sister who babysits and thinks she has the right to empathize with mothers. I am sorry for my years of naivete!
“You do know what causes that don't you?”
Yes I am pregnant again and I am pretty sure I have the logistics figured out by now.
“Mommy wars”
I pretty much hate hearing anything about the mommy wars. You can’t compare apples to oranges. They are both sweet and sour so just pick which fruit you like best and PLEASE don’t go to the orange stand trying to defend apples.
Which ones did I forget? Let me know in the comment section!
(Photo from Marshall Strategy)
Oh, you made me laugh. I have been on both sides of those comments so I felt the sting of being guilty of saying, "You will miss that" and I could totally identify with the difficulty of "stop and enjoy your children". Motherhood is a journey and each one is different. While I do think you will find that as they age some of the issues when they were younger were easier to deal with, I also understand that those issues refined me and are preparing me for what is up ahead. One of my favorites is that if we don't do A,B, or C by a certain time, then we missed the opportunity. I disagree. We will always be momma and while I am yet breathing, I have oodles of opportunity to pour into their lives. And what is more.. I can pray. That is more effective than anything I can say.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder to be graceful with each other today! :)
Thank you for your comment! I know I will miss many things but there are a few I hope I do not miss because then that would mean I stopped living my life if I wanted to go back to scrubbing poop ;). I like your attitude though because you are right there is still so much you can do and praying is definitely one on them!
DeleteAs someone who's children are older now, I reflect back. There are several things I miss, but some of them come back for brief times with grandchildren. What I laugh at hearing is "Are younger children or older children harder to raise?" My response to them is always the same. Neither is easier, any age has it's own set of problems. Some problems are easier, some are more difficult. When they are young you have to get up with them at all hours, when they are dating, you don't go to bed until they are home safe. Almost like two heads of the same coin. Both difficult, just different. Just my two cents worth.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I am not saying I wont miss these times I am just saying I wont miss the moments when I am on the verge of a mental breakdown! lol. Motherhood never gets easy, I am already seeing that. I thought when school started it would be easier but I was wrong! The job never ends.
DeleteHaha this was funny :) my least favorite is when I say I'm having a bad day and my mom or mother in law will just say 'send them here. I'll take care of them and treat them right.' Implying that I am not treating them right or taking care of them. I grew up with you mom! I know you had bad days and got frustrated with me too! Lol Or the 'well if they were my children...' - if they were your children they would probably act just the same - and thanks for making me feel like a failure as a parent instead of building me up with positivity.
ReplyDeleteOh I like that first one! Try treating them 'right' every day 24-7 and see where that gets you, spoiled little stinkers that is where! haha
DeleteFirst off...I have to ask....did you just announce you're pregnant again?? Or was it just for reference to the saying ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the laugh.
Lol Adelina I did not even realize it sounded that way. No I am NOT pregnant it was just for a reference! :)
DeleteI hate hearing, "Are you a stay at home Mom or do you have to work?" Uggh that one gets me going every time. First of all I CHOOSE to work at a job other then at home during the day because I know that it helps our family in so many ways. One of them being it gives me some down time away from the home where I can feel like a member of society. And secondly it implies that if I am not at home with my kids I am not as good of a mother as someone who is a stay at home mom. Just because I get up and go to work 5 days a week does not mean that my children do not come first in my life!! Just because something doesn't work for one family does not mean it wont work for another. If it works for your family great but don't act like my family is going to suffer if I don't do things the way you did. What if I had no choice but to work??? All that question did is potentially make me feel worse about the situation I am in and trying to make the best of!!! Thanks for that enormous amount of depression and guilt you just rubbed in my face random lady in the check out line.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I think it goes both ways, If you work you give your kids something I can't and if I stay home I give my kids something you can't but we are both doing what is best for our family and love our kids so much. We are both awesome moms!
DeleteI think the worst things I don't want to hear don't come from others but they come from my kids. Like any sentence that starts off with "Mom don't get mad okay..." Like that's going to help me not be upset that you and your siblings just had a peanut butter fight in your room. Or "Mom it's really not a big deal." This one is typically said when the subject being discussed is actually a big deal and the child just doesn't want mom to go in to freak out mode!
ReplyDeleteLol good point! I also don't like it when they need help and they assume only dad can fix it. Even a stupid angry birds game I feel like I need to prove to my children that mom can be the hero too! haha
DeleteLOL.. these are all true.
ReplyDeleteMichelle F
Thank you Michelle! :)
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