Mornings are hard at our house.
I am chaotic. Finnegan is stalling. Tate is into everything.
Is lunch made? Has Monty been fed? Wait… where is your library book? You have gym today, you need sneaks! Tate! Get out of the dog water right now!
I try, often failing miserably, to keep the rushed craziness to a minimum. I try to bite my tongue instead of yelling. Do you know why?
Because every single morning, I drop Finn off to school I give him a hug and tell him to have a good day.
It started when school did, but since Newtown, I have been vigilant about it. Some days the hug is begrudgingly rushed. Some days it feels forced. Some of those particularly bad mornings, I don’t want to do it at all. But, I do.
Life happens like that, there are good and bad days for everyone.
Even moms.
Especially moms.
We don’t always like our children and our children don’t always like us. And it’s really ok.
The days though that we’ve kept the crazy to a minimum and he is happy to run into school? Those are the days that I feel like I’m winning this motherhood thing. The hug is boisterous and held for just a few seconds longer. Just a smidge tighter. I yell out the car window, “LEARN something cool!” and he has a huge smile on his face and yells OK over his shoulder.
Those days I feel like I’m doing something right.
I know it isn’t every day. I’m not perfect by any means, but it’s just enough to make me feel like maybe we’re on the right track. Lord knows that there are enough reminders around to make me feel like we’re the worst parents ever.
What makes you feel like you’re winning this whole parenthood thing?
6 comments:
When my girls come and sit real close to me on the couch. Even the 9 year old, and she is getting too cool for everything.
In the mornings I take my 2 year old to the sitter and drop my 15 year old stepson off at school on my way to work. It's early, and the 15 year old likes to get out of bed 10 minutes before we have to leave. There have been times I've left without him becuase I HAVE to leave at a certain time or I'll be late to work (he can ride the bus but goes in early with me for homework help). A lot of mornings there is yelling "if you're not down here in 10 minutes I'm leaving without you!" But even on the mornings that aren't the best, when I drop him off at school, he ALWAYS tells me he loves me, and he typically says it first. It makes me smile and feel like I must be doing something right even on days that I feel like I suck at everything.
For me - upcoming graduation! That's a win right there, right? ;-) Actually, a lot of the time I feel the win when we have great conversations. The fact that my son TALKS to me - really talks - makes me super proud.
Oh I love that you tell him to learn something cool. What a great way to send him off in the morning.
Aaahhhh, what a heartwarming post! You are an excellent Mama!
Yep hard for us too! And we only go to preschool 2 days, cannot imagine in August when the real deal starts. I admit lots of yelling goes on.... i wake up everyday telling myself no yelling but it just doesn't happen. Getting dressed and eating takes forever and then there's Bentley throwing toys in the toilet. Oh and then the backtalking starts at 7am....oh the joys of parenthood.but when he is sweet and tells me i am the greatest Mom thats when it makes me feel like i am winning:)
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