Dear Moms and Dads,

This morning, I saw something on my high school friend's Facebook page that hit really close to home. She said, "If I could get my kids up, dressed, fed, and on the bus every morning without nearly losing my mind or going into hysterics, that would be great. #momfail"

What came next was pretty awesome... Friend after friend reassured her that she was not alone! For some reason, people have an innate need to be judgy about everything. Sigh... Then, we take all that junk we hear and we heap all it upon ourselves. Bigger SIGH... Luckily, there are parents who get it.

My five-year-old scours her playroom every single morning to pick out a toy to take to Preschool. To her, it's the biggest deal in the world. To me, it means 15 minutes latER to work. Next year, when she does ride the bus and we go through our morning meltdown about how much she hates shoes and socks (OMG EVERY DAY), the pressure will be even higher because our bus comes by the house at 6 freakin' 30 AM. If she's not on it, I'll be hauling her 20 minutes one way and 20 minutes back. Aint nobody got an extra 40 minutes in the morning.

And, in all honesty, you know why this mom is going into hysterics? She cares about her kids! She wants them to be well fed so their teachers don't have to deal with hangry little demons at 9 o'clock in the morning. She wants them to wear shoes and socks because it's 52 flippin' degrees outside. I know, I know, the inhumanity!!! She wants them to get to the bus on time so that she isn't late to work. A job means food, clothes, and a place to live. It's, like, kind of important.

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This is NOT my daughter and I. This is a stock photo by Brand X Pictures of what we all imagine mornings should be like. See how this mom is smiling? She's not freeing her child's hair of toothpaste and shooing away the bird that nested on her head overnight. This little girl is not screaming wildly and making a break for it, ignoring the fact that her mom has a handful of her toothpaste laden hair clutched tightly. THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE, PEOPLE!

We are all under an enormous amount of pressure. Kids don't understand it. All they understand is Baby Alive NEEDS her special blanket and nightgown so that when she goes to school she won't be cold. But, their ignorance of all the workings of the world doesn't make the pressures less real, just more frustrating.

So, moms and dads, I see you, I feel you, I lose my sh*t just about every morning too. We are all in this together. And, maybe, someday we'll read somewhere that a young parent is having a difficult time and we'll get to tip our wine glasses to our former daily struggle. I remember a time when my daughter refused to wear any clothes at all and bathing a tomcat on fire in a toilet would have been easier than putting clothes on that kid. But now, I can stand back and laugh about days past... Well, kinda. The socks and shoes thing is still fresh.

Love always,

A Mom Who Loses Her Mind Too

#momsunite

This is actually my child... in the morning...
This is actually my child... in the morning...
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