Real Moms

Missie tagged me with this one, so I’ll share the odds and ends I’ve learned in my five years of “Momming.”

#1 Real Moms Know That Your Kids Are Watching You At Every Second

I never knew how much my children were watching me until one day my two-year-old daughter picked up a toy phone and instead of babbling baby talk, said clearly, “Hello, Papa Johns? I’d like to order a large pepperoni pizza.” It hit me then that every move I make, every word that comes out of my mouth, every decision, is teaching them something. It makes you take a hard look at yourself. And with any luck, you become a better person because you understand that your child will grow up exactly like you. You are their role model.

#2 Real Moms Know that This, Too, Shall Pass
When I first had my son, I tended to make myself crazy over the littlest things. Why does he scream every night for an hour, starting at 5:30 p.m.(when he was an infant)? Why is he throwing his food on the floor and laughing at it? Why is he taking off every piece of clothing after I put him in bed? (Yes, we went through the Naked Boy phase. That’s how I knew it was time to potty train. It’s a little disconcerting when you go to kiss your kid goodnight, and he’s mooning you.) Once each neurotic little phase ends, another begins. And you learn to take it one day at a time and not to sweat the small stuff. (Our nighttime ritual became, “Good night. Sleep well. Keep your clothes on.”)

Real Moms Know that the Bedtime Story Isn’t About the Story Every night, I read to my kids before bed. But I think many people mistakenly believe that reading to your child is about the book. It isn’t. It’s about having quiet, one-on-one time with your child, snuggling under blankets, and showing them love. And I’ll admit, sometimes you get tired and busy and you just want to get them tucked in and off to sleep. But it really is a big deal to them. And so you read The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the thirty-billionth time.

If you’d like to join in on this meme, feel free! Did your kids go through any weird phases? Mine are in the fashion-police phase now. They are very picky about what to wear. And my daughter canNOT understand why I won’t let her go around dressed in orange and purple.