One of Mama Kat’s inspiring writing prompts this week was to describe how motherhood has changed you. The topic had me stumped for hours, and ultimately, I realized why: Motherhood hasn’t really changed me. At least not the way biggest way I thought it would.
Before I was a mother, I didn’t really care for other people’s children. Sure, I could appreciate a cute one here and there, but I was never particularly drawn to the little creatures. Puppies were where it was at. I figured that once I became a mother, I would magically turn into a person who enjoyed generations born three decades before myself. A person who wanted to chaperon field trips and aid the teacher and host an annual Halloween party. A person who didn’t dread crowded birthday parties and passing lemonade stands. But, it hasn’t quite happened that way.
These days, I can’t stand other children more than ever. I scowl at them at the doctor’s office. They are germy and contagious and I want them far away from my darling offspring. At the park they’re always on the equipment that my children want, and they are so much more annoying than my precious three at restaurants. At least when Evan plays with the sugar packets, he does so artfully and he looks so much more adorable wearing his lunch than all the other kids.
My children look infinitely less trashy than others running around the back yard in their underwear. When they scream at passerbys they are simply asserting their independence, and it’s endearing. Even their poop is a hundred times less gross than other children’s. How did I get so lucky?
Maybe when I’m a grandmother that universal love of children will finally kick in. Or, maybe I’ll just be that nasty old lady yelling at innocent children in the grocery store.
Yup, that’s entirely more likely.
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I love your truth.
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you’re a mama lion :)
(i also scowl at those little petrie dishes — i mean, children — in the doctors office, as i wonder (sometimes out-loud) “why are the kids with the green snot sitting in the “well baby/child” part of the waiting room?”)
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yeah, other people’s kids are smelly (but not yours) :)
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Speaking as a grandmother…….you won’t like” other peoples kids” any better than you do now. I know I don’t.
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Hahaha! I actually loved other people’s kids…. until I had my own. It was like all thos other kids suddenly turned into giant blobs of germiness and bad influence.
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You’re too funny! I’ll have you know that my kids are always running around in their underear. *grin* But we live in Florida and it’s SO hot, so that’s pretty much why. :-)
This is a cute post and I think you’re onto something with it.
Thank you for stopping by my blog the other day. :-)
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I don’t mind the birthday parties and the lemonade stands (in fact, I’m more likely to stop and buy some super-sweetened, high-fructose corn syrup-er- lemonade just so they won’t egg my house). BUT other people’s kids and germs make me want to quarantine ourselves until Spring, especially since I’m preggers. I’m sure they sell some “boy in a bubble” kits somewhere that we could use until flu season is over. Maybe on eBay.
Twitter: adventuroo
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Ain’t that the truth! I can’t believe other people let their kids go out dressed like dirty ragamuffins (shameful!), but MY child in her Barbie Princess dress (accessorized with striped red socks and gold glittery sweater) and yogurt smeared face is the epitome of a well-loved child.
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So raw. So real. And I hate to admit it–so me. I actually used to like other kids. Now, other kids seem to have no draw for me. Maybe I’m just kid-ed out.
Twitter: 1momof5
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I LOVE your blog! So true. I just chose you for a feature on my blog, check it out if you want. :) Love it.
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I ADORE this post, because I’m with you 100%!!!!
Twitter: Boredmommy
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You know…just try running a daycare. It is so hard to wipe the snotty noses without making that disgusted furrowed browed face.
Twitter: mamakatslosinit
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Dare I say that I sort of changed after I became a mom here? I really can relate to the discomfort pre-baby about being around children, because though I had babysat as a teen I’d never changed a diaper till I had my own child.
Life didn’t change that much after one child for me. My husband and I could still get a babysitter and go out and I worked full time and brought my baby when I commuted every day to my office and he slept or played in his porta crib contentedly.
But then, just one year later, I had TRIPLETS and closed my business down because I could no long have all these kids AND work outside the house. I found myself a SAHM changing 4 diapers at a time and later potty-training three together. I don’t even remember much from the first 3 years when I had all these babies at home. Except for one thing I did learn: it did force me to change my ways because I became organized very quickly just to keep my sanity ;-)
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Love this post! Very honest & makes sense. I love the kids in my life – my own, my family and friends’ kids, but all other’s kids…not so much. I think for me it is less about the kids and more about the parents. Unless the parents are on the same wavelength in parenting, I am probably not going to like the kids hanging out with my precious babies, haha!
twinmama´s last blog ..Grab a Cup of Coffee…and Your Laptop
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You are very, very funny :)
You always make me smile!
Your children do sound perfect.
We are totally opposite because I just love children.
And sometimes, when I am in the city, I will see a particularly disturbing one. They will be dirty from the day, they will have torn school clothes, they will look hungry and most of all, they will look mad. Mad at everything. I love those children so. I love the ones that have mommy’s who use drugs. The ones who have daddy’s that are in prison or unknown. I love the ones being raised by Grandmas in over crowded houses in over crowded neighborhoods. I love them because I don’t know if anyone else will. And each child-every.single.one- is so valuable. A person is a person no matter how small!
I think this should be a post : )
Life with Kaishon´s last blog ..Jessi gets ogled!
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