Confessions of a Tired Mom

In the spirit of being honest and real (one of the cornerstones of my blog), here is a list of things I do on occasion which I am not proud of, but have decided are necessary for my sanity. With the hustle and bustle, lack of sleep, endless chores, and downright stress (not to mention unwarranted advice – read: criticism) that come with parenthood, something’s gotta give. I do hope this list doesn’t taint your pristine image of me too much!

1. Skip nights brushing my teeth (But this bed is so comfortable…and I didn’t eat anything sweet today…and I….zzzzzz)

2. Skip nights brushing my kids’ teeth (normally this is when they’ve fallen asleep in the car. I ain’t wakin’ no sleeping child)

3. Eat stuff off the floor (my dining room floor isn’t THAT dirty, right? 😁 My kids are messy eaters and I hate to waste…)

4. Go to sleep without washing my face (Bonus! No need to reapply makeup the next morning!)

5. Go 3 or 4 days without showering (the newborn stage is always the worst. I think my record is 7 days).

6. Skip nights bathing my kids (although this summer, we’ve all three been bathing almost every day. This heat will be the death of me)

7. Give my 1 year old candy (I tried so hard to wait, but with her older brother already used to having it, it essentially became impossible)

8. Yell at my children (Sometimes I have just had it up to HERE with the mess and the noise and the To Do lists glaring at me mockingly)

9. Hit my son (yes, this has happened. I am trying my hardest to find more effective discipline measures and eliminate it completely)

10. Worn the same outfit 3 days in a row (you may see a pattern of lack of proper hygiene here….to my husband’s dismay 😬 I’m working on it! It’s getting better…)

11. Worn my husband’s t-shirts out

12. Worn my husband’s boxers to bed

13. Let my children eat wheat thins (yup, just wheat thins!) for lunch

14. Let my children have “one more” cookie (does that make three already?) when I’m on the phone or trying to do the dishes

15. Bring my kids over to the grandparents’ (perks of living in the same building as your inlaws!) and say I’ll “be right back” when I fully intend to spend an hour lounging around my apartment reveling in the rare peace and quiet.

16. Let my son convince me that he deserved a “prize” for waking up in the morning (sometimes they’re so funny we just have to oblige, right?)

17. Left piles of toys on the floor before bed “to deal with tomorrow”.

18. Bought my son yet another Transformer two Walmart trips in a row (sometimes I just don’t want to argue).

19. Let my son pee on the grass (sometimes the bathrooms are locked or far away, or my daughter is in one corner, my purse is in the other corner, and I just can’t get it together in time. Also, this boy can seriously pee. I think he peed 8 times yesterday. His bladder must not be fully grown in yet)

Just so that we are not ending on a cringeworthy note (these are pretty bad, aren’t they….don’t tell me you other parents can’t relate a little, though!), here are some confessions that I AM proud of:

1. I often look in on my babies sleeping. Gazing lovingly at their perfectly closed eyes and lips and the gentle rise and fall of their breathing are treasured moments of mine

2. I lost many parts of me when I became a mother (maybe I’ll get them back when the children are off at college?), but I gained so much more knowledge, experience, realization, inspiration, humanity, and overall joy because of these two little wonders. My soul has a depth it never possessed before.

And just to sign off, a note to all parents out there:

Don’t ever think you’ve failed as a parent and have no hope for recovery (thus ruining your children forever and dooming them to a lifetime of therapy). You ALWAYS have the ability to start over; to make changes. You CAN be the mom or dad you’ve always wanted to be (though I’ll bet you’re a pretty kick a** one already). 😉