Comments on Is There Any Mommy Out There?: A Good Mother

Ok, am I horrible? I laughed a little bit at the "...

2009-05-19T19:03:40.087-07:00

Ok, am I horrible? I laughed a little bit at the "horrible" part of this story. Not because I think it's funny that you went through this, but because I've been there, I know that feeling, and I am so relieved that it's not just me that I feel like laughing and dancing and hugging you.

None of us is perfect. We can only do our best... and frankly we can't even do that all the time.

Wow, I'm not the only one. Thank you for sharing! ...

2009-05-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm not the only one. Thank you for sharing! underdogs unite =]

Thanks for writing this (and for everyone's commen...

2009-05-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks for writing this (and for everyone's comments). Today I yelled at my son and pretty much felt like the worst mom ever. I just could not handle one more whine/cry/scream/fuss. In a word, I was "Mommied-out" and needed a break on a dreaded no nap day. It's good to know that I'm not alone and quite possibly not a terrible mom for yelling.

We all explode. Some lie about it, some hide it a...

2009-05-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

We all explode. Some lie about it, some hide it and some are honest. I like honest. I may have five kids, but have so many that little would put me over the edge. Three does suck. Luke is three. Quite often, he sucks. Olivia is 4.5...that's a good age. In fact, Emily and I were just discussing loveable ages. 0-1 are wonderful. 1-4 suck. 4-12 are wonderful. 12-16 suck really bad. So far, 16 seems great.

Marinka said, "There are no perfect mothers. Except in the Sears catalog." I wanted to tell her there is also the other perfect mother that social services uses in all there walk-away-take-a-deep-breath-call-someone-to-help-you models. Of course, it is a 20-something newby without children informing you how to parent. Oh, I shouldn't have gotten started on this!

You are normal. I like that. And you are right about the blogs. If we all told it all we'd all lose our children.

XOX I just love you. It is okay to say that without it being weird, isn't it?! lol :)

Babe, none of us is perfect. But I will tell you s...

2009-05-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Babe, none of us is perfect. But I will tell you something, we all lose it. I do it more often than I'd care to admit. But no one can push you there faster than your children. It is their god given gift. That and being cute enough to make it past 5 years old alive.

Perfect is very boring.

Girls are very screechy, in playing and whining. I can agree with this completely. But two of them is worse that one. Because girls voices is like 5 to one, compared to boys.

OK, if that is your ugly underbelly, you are still...

2009-05-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

OK, if that is your ugly underbelly, you are still a saint :) Especially at 7-8 mos pregnant. I only have 2 that are 3 1/2 and under and with being huge and pregnant, I have so little patience! Nap time is the worst! and D, the 3 1/2 year old is total nap refusal. I can take about an hour of trying to get him to nap before I lose it...

Thank you so much. For being honest. Do you know...

2009-05-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much. For being honest. Do you know how many moms you're helping by sharing this. I have so many of these same moments-before-moments. I sometimes think that I hope my kids will remember the happy, fun mom and not the yelling, snarling one...

I've got a 3 1/2 year old, too, but seriously, my oldest is the champion of trying my patience, regardless of what age she is.

I just finished writing a post about my own three ...

2009-05-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

I just finished writing a post about my own three year old...oh, it's such a fun age (NOT) - I agree!

I still like you, probably even more. I admire your ability to write so eloquently, even about something like this.

Oh my gosh. You are soooo good.

2009-05-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh. You are soooo good.

That level of frustration has seeped into my day w...

2009-05-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

That level of frustration has seeped into my day way too often lately. There are days when it takes every ounce of my being to not lose my shit and I have one less kid than you.

That happens to me at least once a week. With jus...

2009-05-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

That happens to me at least once a week. With just one child. I'm thinking that I've gone from Bad Momma to Horrendous Momma now.

Been there. Many times. My husband used to alway...

2009-05-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Been there. Many times.

My husband used to always get home at that time too - all clean and cute and perfect.

Dude that's just nighttime at my house. Every nigh...

2009-05-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Dude that's just nighttime at my house. Every nighttime.

As I'm quite literally shoving my kids out the doo...

2009-05-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

As I'm quite literally shoving my kids out the door this morning so they are not late for preschool and I'm not late to work, my 3 year old asks me "Mama, why are you so grumpy at me?"
Great post, very honest and yeah, we all have those days.

I am right there with you in the trenches fighting...

2009-05-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

I am right there with you in the trenches fighting the good fight against THREE. Horrible, horrible three.

I never know what child I am going to get at any given moment and that is unnerving. Some days, most days I fail but then I have a few successes and it bolsters me to do better the next time.

3 is very definitely the worst age. Two may be ter...

2009-05-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

3 is very definitely the worst age. Two may be terrible, but 2 year olds can be carried to timeout and manhandled. 3 yo are feisty, kicking beasts. 4 is better. I promise!

Clearly, the words you write touched so many of us...

2009-05-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Clearly, the words you write touched so many of us as true, real, identifiable. We all want to be the best mommies we can be, and lots of times, we are. But we also, ALL OF US, have those times, those days, those moments where we are not the one we aspire to be in our best of times. My household sounds like yours, just with older kids. Different ages, different mommy frustrations, but still the same, you know? I don't always love how I handle those frustrations, but those times are interspersed with a lot more times that I manage just fine, and sometimes even really well. And I think we'll all come out just fine in the end.

I have altogether too many of those moments. I am ...

2009-05-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

I have altogether too many of those moments. I am working on that. Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one.

This is a FANTASTIC post. Of course we all have th...

2009-05-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is a FANTASTIC post. Of course we all have these moments, but I love the way you lay out the facts and didn't castigate yourself to the nth degree (like I do to myself, and I'm sure you do too. We all do). Thank you so much.

I really cannot imagine a better parenting blog.

How is it you always know exactly what to say? I ...

2009-05-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

How is it you always know exactly what to say? I loved reading this, to remind me that I am only human, not a perfect parent, but I am trying. And boy do I ever have days like yours, but thankfully they too are sprinkled in amidst the deliciously joyful days where my child decides to be good and sweet and not meltdown. Thanks for good company for me and millions of other mothers out there.

I knew you were human- just like the rest of us. ...

2009-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

I knew you were human- just like the rest of us.

xox

Thank you for telling it like it is. This could b...

2009-05-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you for telling it like it is. This could be my story. I lost my shit just ummm today. Like really really bad. I have been on my own with 4 kids while my husband has been working 7 days a week, and close to a bazillion hours.

I told it like it was. I cried. I said Fuck alot of times. We calmed down and curled up together, and have started afresh now.

But I am real.

I can only take so much.

see? that right there - that later acknowledgment ...

2009-05-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

see? that right there - that later acknowledgment and admittance to saige that you shouldn't have yelled? that's why you're a good mother.

btw, my cousin/best friend and i call this "possessed." as in, "i yelled at them like i was possessed - whites of my eyes showing and spittle flying..." i was a much less patient mom with the 2 who are now grown. they do not remember it!

My favorite line from this post: "I fixed them!" (...

2009-05-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

My favorite line from this post: "I fixed them!" (Wait, a pleasant voice - she has a pleasant voice?) That truly made me laugh!

I also have the *scary mommy voice*, but I hardly use it anymore since my kids are older. But my daughter can still provoke me into using it. It goes something like eeeeeeeLAINE!I truly sympathize with your situation and I cannot imagine having three, and soon to be four, children under the age of 5. Kindergarten's gotta be looking pretty good these days.

I appreciate your honesty and I blow you a loving *raspberry* and hope you chilled out this weekend.

You are always a joy to read.

I love your honesty! I don't know of a single par...

2009-05-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

I love your honesty! I don't know of a single parent who hasn't lost their cool at some point. I yelled. I growled. And I terriefied my children with that low voice that someone who is about to bury thier child under the house would use. I'm not proud of it but it happened.

And for the record, I don't know why they call 2 the Terrible Twos. I found the age of 3 far more challenging.