Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I'm Okay With It

I stumbled upon a blog a few weeks ago, and simply the title of it brought a smile to my face. It's called The Meanest Mom and her stories of raising four children are nothing short of hilarious. Sometimes you need to read other mom stories to realize that we are all in one big, sinking boat together. Apparently, she is the reigning "meanest mom" for 2009, but lately, I feel like I could qualify as a close runner-up. Or at least Miss Congeniality.

Although I am pretty sure that Miss Congeniality in the Meanest Mom pageant would sport a scowl and a shirt that says "WHAT DID I JUST SAY???" And wave nicely to the crowd.

The last few days, I have passed The Meanest Mom test with flying colors. Deny your kid ice cream at the fair? Check. Deny your kid a funnel cake at the fair? Check. Take your kid out of the grandstand from the queen's pageant at the fair, kicking and screaming while people watch? Check. Give your kid the ten minute walk home from the fair to anticipate the punishment she will get upon arriving home? Check.

Oh wait, there's more.

Today she has a friend over to play. They have only been told "no" a fair total of 87 times. No going upstairs. No chasing the cat. No tattling. No climbing on top of the playhouse to play "princess in distress falling off the castle". No hitting. I know, I'm so mean.

I'm patiently waiting for the day when one of Abigail's friends says, "Your mom is so mean." I might feel bad, just for a second. And then I'll realize, hey, I'm okay with that. Just doing my job.

6 comments:

Rudy said...

Tis the season of being the meanest mom of a 3 yr old... I too qualify :) Can you believe I don't let him drink juice (don't ask why and we won't have to discuss it), throw softballs at his 4 mos old brother, backtalk or throw grass on complete strangers? Just doing my job. When they are adults, then we might think about being nice ;)

Amy said...

Debra, when did you become "Rudy"? You threw me until I saw your picture. Anyway, from one mean mama to another...keep up the good work!

Heather Kay said...

Is your daughter strong willed? Mine is and she is now 11 and it is so much better! I had to learn to enjoy her strength and pick my battles wisely. These children are usually very bright and if we are consistent and fair they will be the ones who are strong enough to stand up for whats right. My daughter has always been the bossy one but she also keeps everyone in line. (it's not all bad) I wish that I had chilled out a little when she was 3-5 and just enjoyed her a little more. She was a HANDFUL and I thought I had to win every battle or she would be ruined. Actually once I learned to pick only the battles that were important and then win them, we did much better and had a much more pleasant time. It is important for the strong willed to feel that they are making some of their own decisions. For my daughter, letting her choose the clothes she wore and the way she did her hair was a big deal. This was a real battle for us for a long time. Finally, I decided to put 5 play outfits where she could reach them and let her pick what she would wear. I also gave her the choice for her hair. This little thing helped start our day off so much better and let her have some since of control. These years go by so fast! Please know that I am not judging! I made so many mistakes and wasted a lot of days fighting with her about things that didn't really matter. Sorry this is so long. I see my daughter making good choices and I honestly wondered back then if that would ever happen. I hope I am not out of line here.
Blessings!
Heather

Wendy said...

I tell my kids "thank you" when they tell me I'm the meanest mom!!

Amy said...

Heather, not out of line, and good advice! I appreciate stories from moms who have been through it. I'm a big fan of giving her choices, and it usually, in most cases (except junk food at the fair), works very well. She is pretty strong-willed, but mostly just with me. The great thing is, it seems our hardest days together are followed by our sweetest ones. Like we need to balance out the battles in the house. Thanks for the experiences shared. I always appreciate it. ;)

Anonymous said...

Ok, you are cracking me up. I'm totally in the meanest mom category....just ask my mother-in-law;0)