Mommy Confessions

Lately, I've become rather sick of people acting and talking as if their children are happy, joyous, and fun to be around all of the time. Kids aren't perfect. They all have their moments. They may scream uncontrollably. They may pitch fits in public. They may cry for what seems to be no reason. They may not always listen. They may poop in the tub; or on the floor. They may hit other kids. They may sometimes bite. They may not keep their hands to themselves. They may have to be put in time-out several times a day. They may make a mess. They may break stuff (stuff that you really like). They may run and yell and push and shove. (Note: I could easily switch out "they" with "Gavin" or "Vivian" in any of the sentences above. Where do you think I got the ideas from?)

The point is that kids aren't always calm and well behaved. 

And, the other point is that if you're feeling like your rugrat is abnormally obnoxious or that you must have the only child that can't handle being out in public or that you must be doing a terrible job as a Mom because your kid won't sit still to do a craft, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. 

To help you feel less alone (and because I wish that more people would be willing to talk about this stuff out loud), I'm going to make a few confessions... some mommy confessions. 

Let me start by saying that I love Gavin and Vivian more than I ever thought I could love anyone. And, I absolutely LOVE my life and the way that it has turned out. But sometimes, this whole "having twins" thing can be a bit tiring and stressful.

• Confession #1: I think that I might kill myself (or at least severely injure myself) if I had to be a stay-at-home mom. I have so much respect for women who stay-at-home (my mom stayed at home until my younger sister went to preschool). Really, I do. I admire them. But, I'm also fully aware that I am not capable of joining that club.
• Confession #2: If I get stressed out when I'm home with them on Saturdays and Sundays (Wes works on the weekends), the TV is on a lot. I used to think that I wouldn't be one of "those parents" who has the TV on a lot, and I'm not everyday, but many weekends, when I'm exhausted and overwhelmed with work, Sesame Street will play for hours in the morning.
• Confession #3: Sometimes I will snack the twins to death to keep them quiet. And, we buy snacks based on how long they last in their little hands. For instance, rice cakes take longer to eat, so they are a favorite in our house.
• Confession #4: Sometimes I think about selling Vivi and Gavin on eBay. Okay, not really, but they can get completely out-of-control, and on those days, it's hard to not consider it. 

And those are the confessions I'm willing to make online ;-)

So, can we stop lying to each other and acting like this whole parenting thing is wonderfully perfect and effortlessly simple? If you are one of the people who do that, you're just setting your friends up for failure... and depression. Shit, if I believed that Gavin and Vivian were the only 20-month-olds who had trouble sharing, I would feel like I was doing something wrong every time they were selfish (which is every second of every day, by the way). This could easily consume me.

Oh, and don't get me started on parents who constantly talk about their intellectually and emotionally advanced one year olds. I'm sick of that shit too.

If you want more, check out these awesome blogs:
http://1000ReasonsImABadMom.com/ 

http://www.MommyConfessions.com/

I think I might love these women.