3. Share a mom fail.
I believe mother’s guilt is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I try not to tell my kids the stories of the times I really screwed up because I’m afraid they will continue to bring them up for the rest of their lives and I don’t want to relive them. I think they will bring them up all the time because that is exactly what I do to my own mom.
When it comes to mom fails, I’d hate to limit myself to choosing just one. Let me list as many as I can think of…maybe it it will be therapeutic and allow me to let it all go. Or maybe my kids will find this post and start their own blogs where they share what it is was like growing up with a mother who was losing it:
1. I made my baby “cry it out” and discovered she had vomited all over herself when I pulled her out of bed the following morning.
2. I missed my daughter’s Kindergarten graduation. She says another mother was waving at her and offering encouragement during their performance, only to realize later that she was actually waving at her own daughter who was standing next to mine.
3. In an exasperated heap of frustration I dumped a glass of water over my toddler’s head during one of his temper tantrums.
4. I accidentally locked myself out of my running vehicle while my toddler daughters were strapped securely into their carseats.
5. I screamed at my son for being so slow getting himself ready for school when really it was that last email I was attempting to send that distracted me from helping him.
6. I jumped into a pool fully clothed to save my daughter from drowning after taking my eyes off of her to talk to my sister.
7. I attacked my shower curtain with a hairbrush when my toddler screamed to use the bathroom yet again in an attempt to avoid bedtime.
8. I screamed “shut up” when my child would not stop screaming. An excellent display of “leading by example.”
9. This haircut:
10. I forgot to be the tooth fairy…every damn time.
11. I allowed my daughter to continue playing with a dog that bit her brother…and then the dog bit her. A trip to the ER and stitches to her right eye later, everything’s fine.
12. I kept my kids pet mice within reach of a dog we were caring for. He knocked them out of their cages and killed them all in my daughter’s bedroom.
13. I bit my biting daughter back.
14. When my daughter pulled her lovely pigtails from her hair after the time I took to create them I yelled, “Oh fine and now you’re hair is ugly!”
15. I didn’t decorate my daughter’s birthday and found her crying quietly at the top of the stairs the morning of her big day because she thought I forgot her.
omg this is the worst prompt ever. I think 15 is a good place to stop, don’t you? I hope my list makes you feel a little bit better about your own mom fails. We all have them. How many times have I sat at the bottom of my stairs crying out of pure frustration and disappointment in myself? Too many.
And it’s only with confidence that I can even share those fails because I know I’m a great mom to them. I know how hard I work to provide love and security and support and beautiful memories. And as difficult as raising kids can be, God bless them and their ability to forget, forgive and move on when we slip up.
kelley says
You are so honest it is refreshing! I couldn’t think of any mom fail’s until I read yours and now they are flooding in. It is a good thing they forgive and forget so easily.
Mama Kat says
About halfway through my list I was like, “why are you doing this to yourself!?!” Hahahaha! I agree, my kids don’t remember half of that stuff…the ones they DO remember are stories I retold when they were older. So they remember the retelling, but not the actual experience. Should have kept my mouth shut!
Morgan says
I forget the tooth fairy every dang time! I feel you on that! (and numerous other things, like the hair is ugly comment, I might have said that once….)
Mama Kat says
Why is the tooth fairy so hard?? Gives me anxiety! I’d rather just throw them a buck and be done with it.
carol says
Kids really are wonderful little people because they can forget, forgive, and move on… just like that! Moms are only human, and your post is the perfect reminder that we are. We can look back and laugh at our mom fails. Because we all have them.
The pictures of the kids facing the wall in time-out reminded me of my own daughter’s experience with this. Her two year old daughter needed a time-out so she put her on a stool in the corner of the room, facing the wall. After a few minutes went by, mommy asked “are you ready to get down and talk about it?”. Two year old Ali turned her head around, stuck her nose up in the air, and said “no!”. Talk about a mom fail! I could not believe what I saw.
Mama Kat says
Yes it’s true….we have to laugh at ourselves. I also feel sorry for that lady who was me during those moments because I know those reactions are not REALLY who I am. She must have been pushed to her very limit of sanity to dump a cup of water over her child’s head. I would never do that. ;) And that timeout story is adorable! Those timeouts never worked for Kainoa either. Backfired every time.
Christy says
I’ll admit, I’m chicken; I didn’t want to put all my mom fails out there, but there have been plenty! My list would be similar to yours. So many fails when my hormones were out of whack a few years ago, I yelled for 45 minutes because a SHOE, one lone shoe was left in the middle of the floor instead of being put away. One of my worst moments as a mom for sure! But I also know, if their hadn’t been those fails, there would have been others.
Stacey says
Hi there. I was going to do the mom fails but thought I could do a post for that when Luke gets a little older so I choose vacation.
I am having some trouble linking up on the bottom today it’s not showing my pic for when I am linking up. So I’ll leave it here for today. I hope you have a great weekend and Holiday. :)
http://staceyschneller06.blogspot.com/2016/05/write-blog-post-inspired-by-word.html?m=1
Trudy says
“God bless them and their ability to forget, forgive and move on when we slip up.” I love that. And now I’m hoping it applies to grandchildren, too!
Jenny says
Thanks for making me feel like I am not alone cause I think this whole day has been a Mom fail ;) LOL
madamdreamweaver says
I really don’t remember my Mom messing up as much as I remember myself messing up. However, what I and my sisters DO remember our Mom losing it on, well that comes back out to haunt her sometimes at family get togethers. Lots to look forward to.
Betsy says
I absolutely have a list five miles long of mom fails. I think we all do. If we don’t, we are lying!
Sherrelle says
This list is hilarious! I think that I have blocked out all my bad mommy moments (except for the tooth fairy – I’ve done that a few times).