All Grown Up

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to grow up. I figured I could do whatever I wanted and come and go as I please. I couldn't wait to be in charge and to be the parent. I had big plans for how I would do things differently. Of course I was going to be:

• the cool mom
• the young mom
• the mom all my kids' friends would wish was their mom
• I would never say, "Because I said so."

I do believe you say and think a lot of really dumb (sorry, ignorant) things before you have children. I grew up in the middle of 6 kids and babysat my entire life so I thought I knew what I was in for. When I was pregnant I thought:

• I would be back at work 1 week after having my first child, scanning in photos to make his birth announcements
• my kids wouldn't ever take a pacifier
• I didn't need bottles because I was only going to breast feed
• my kids would only watch educational television
• I would never have my kids in public with a messy face-you just wipe them

Now that I have been on the parenting journey for a while and I compare what I thought then to what is true today:

• I was a young mom, but I am much better at it now than when I started
• All kids at some time wish someone else was their mom
• Answering all their questions with rational explanations is exhausting and "Because I said so" shuts them up much faster
• There is no such thing as a cool mom