Are you a good mother?
Summer always starts off with the gentle earth-mother-esque firm-yet-gentle whisper-screaming-scary-mom voice. By the time back to school rolls around the earth mother has disappeared. Her replacement must shout scream bellow just to be heard over the herd of screaming hyenas posing as innocent children.
Yeah, I know. I should scream less. I should be more patient and understanding. I should probably stab myself in the eyes with a cayenne-laced pencil instead of getting upset.
The newly folded laundry is on the floor mixed with the dirty clothes that WAS in the basket. There’s an (empty) bowl of cherries under the table and you know that’s going to end up in a shitstorm.
The preschooler found time to pee in the potty but the 3rd grader was doing ‘running-jumping-dance-gymnastics‘ and tripped over the pot while the other one was pulling up her pants. Meanwhile, the toddler has a sock in one hand and my brand new shirt in the other, attempting the clean the pee in a ‘wax-on-wax-off’ fashion.
There’s a decapitated naked Barbie on the floor and Daddy’s shoes are wedged between the seat cushions of our couch. The now-empty laundry basket is turned upside-down, trapping the cat who’s furtively trying – and failing – to escape his new cage.
All of this because I decided that my exploding bladder was more important than, say, just about anything else in that moment. All of this for a quick 30 second pee-wipe-flush-wash sprint. There must be a time-warp vortex in our house – how else can you explain so much damage in so little time?
Does this make me a bad mother?
Probably not. But I won’t lie, I’m super excited for Back-To-School. So excited that when I saw this post about turning shower caddies into homework stations I just had to make some for the kids (and maybe for me too…). All I needed – other than copious amounts of school supplies – was a dollar store shower caddie and some chalkboard labels from Kidecals.
Awesome post from MustHaveMom.com
Kidecals
I recently discovered Kidecals and now I might be getting slightly obsessed with this whole labeling thing. I got labels for the pantry (breakfast stuff does NOT go on the pasta shelf and vice versa!). I got more of the chalkboard labels to use over the hooks I bought to organize the kids’ coats (the fact that said hooks have been in their Ikea bag for 6 months is besides the point). I might even have gotten a label for my bin of labels.
Kids still driving you nuts?
Grab a glass of wine, sit back, and browse the Kidecals website while dreaming of your perfectly organized pristine dream home with white towels and sheets that stay white and a kitchen devoid of fruit flies as you’ll never discover a shriveled up old orange in the (properly labelled) utensil jar.
While I didn’t find my dream home for sale on their website, I am excited to reorganize my life once the kids are back in school and label the heck out of everything 🙂 Shipping to Ottawa was roughly $13 and the prices are super reasonable. What are you looking forward to labeling?
I’m not yet a mom, but just for kicks I tried answering the Are You a Good Mother map? I think I did pretty ok and it tells me that I will be a good mother when the time comes.
These are not the only questions to gauge if one is in fact a good mother but it’s a nice start. There are other things that are more important to consider. Anyway, yeah, taking care of kids would really drive one nuts. I suggest hiring a nanny especially when the mom is a working mom.
Ha, I too like to relax envisioning perfect organization. I’ll have to check out Kidecals!
We use Kidecals! I love them. We were losing so many pieces of clothing at school until I started labeling. Such a great investment.
I have two kids and I always use kidecals. I truly love those! Thank you so much for the excellent post and info 😀
Thanks for stopping by, and glad you enjoyed the post! Yes, labels are awesome 🙂
I took the mother map challenge and hey I’m a great mom according to the result! We don’t have kidecals here in our country and I think we should have one although there are online shops selling customized name tags for books and notebooks.
Kidecals look like a great idea thanks for the info. I wish I had something like this when my son was little.
This is the only way my house is perfect…daydreaming about it! LOL
Great post! I love the infographic! It’s so right on. Being a great mom means that you love your kids, and you do everything you can to keep them healthy and happy. After that, everything else is just gravy.
I think we are all doing our best and honestly – that is all we can do. As long as our kids are healthy, fed, clean and educated – we are doing ok!
I think I am the best mom I can be! Some days I have off days but my kids dont expect perfection. *Thankfully*
Reading that opening was definitely a roller coaster! Thankfully my kids are a different kind of crazy at 13, 15 and 18 years of age…
oooohhhhhh you have hormones to deal with 🙂 I don’t envy you 🙂
My kids are all grown and out of the house on the their own. I loved the intro and literally laughed out loud because it is soooooooo true. One wonders how that much devastation can be cause in a brief moment.
Maybe Drop Dead Fred really exists, in multiples across all households, and he’s the one wreaking this havoc? 🙂
Oh my Goodness….I was laughing while clearly getting the image in my head as I was reading this…Brings back memories. Loved the decapitated Barbie. lol That chart is great! At the end of the day, if we care for our kids, we are good moms! 🙂
Some days its laugh or cry, right? 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the post, if a little bit at my expense lol!
It seems like every year there is something else you “have” to do to be a good mother! I will settle for being an ok mother.
I love your post and feel the same way! We love Kidecals! =)
I love this chart, it was really cute to read this post!
I love the info graphic! Very cute post! I feel the same way as you!
hahaha…. I love that chart! Ppl get so caught up in the details and think that one decision makes them a bad or good parent. Not true.
Neat infographic. I’ve never felt I was a bad mom because of the things on the chart, I think those things are for each mother to determine on their own.
I am very unorganized and definitely need to get labels and create a system. I love the idea of using chalk labels as you can reuse them as needed.
I love my kids with all my heart so yeah I’m a good mom LOL, while my teenagers dont need kidecal anymore, my little nephews use them if their names are not on they know it belong to someone else
My sister struggles with this a lot. I feel like as long as you love your kids and treat them right, you’re a GREAT mother.
I am a damn good mom and I don’t worry about the little things anymore. The dirty and clean clothes mixed together, the spilled milk that everyone decided didn’t need cleaning up etc. We’re all doing our best the best way we know how.
That is such a great chart. I know I am a great mom no matter if there are toys all over the floor.
I think and know, my kids have the best mom!! She is everything i have ever wanted in a wife and mother to my kids..
Just sharing this story and all your little stories tell us you are a good mother. Kids don’t come with instructions but we do have instincts. Thanks for sharing.
lol, interesting flow chart! My wife is the best mom (sorry kungphoo) in the world – her patience is unmatched!
Haha – Being a mom is a blessing but also the hardest job I have ever had in my life! You described it perfectly!
I love to label!! SO much fun!
Yes, I think this exact same scenario played out in my house today. Add in that my middle child dared the oldest to throw a kitten at the baby… and now the baby has scratches down one side of the face. I’m excited for school, too.
Oh my god. here the baby keeps picking up the kittens – by their neck (but gently!!! lol) – I never thought I would say ‘Chloe don’t kill the cat!’ LOL. she, too, may have a few scratches on her hand 🙂
I’m a mother of three, and I can say from experience that it’s the hardest job ever. As long as we do our best and love our kids, we’re good mothers.
You had me wondering if my life was cloned. I enjoyed your post. Wax on, Wax off little one!
bhahaha! glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I’m a single mom of four.. I like to think I’m a complete bada$$ haha
I am not a mother yet but hopefully i can be a great one in the future
I love the infographic, and hope to see it get shared everywhere. We all need to be reminded we’re doing the best we can.
Those caddies are cool ideas–I have four kids and it is always a mad rush to do homework quickly after school. Got to get organized, too!
I love that infographic. I think moms are often way too hard on themselves.
This was a great infograph, it’s hard to be the perfect mother; but I try to be the best I can be for my family.
Fun info graphic! I think that as long as we try, we are good moms!
I think there are alot of different aspects to being a good mother and while some are good at some things and less so with others doesn’t make them a bad mom. You do the best you can and show your kids you love them, teach them to respect their selves and others and to have morals.and they will be find. My children are grown and one is a US Marine and the other is well on her way to becoming a school teacher. They are both starting families of their own and I hope they will succeed. There is no more important job than being a mom.
Ha ha!! I love your chart! We are all good moms! It’s not easy and yes we doubt ourselves at times, but I believe most of us try our best and are great at what we do.
Everyone has their own parenting styles and we are all good Mothers! 🙂
I’m not a mother yet and am pretty nervous about becoming one. My mom was so not a good mom (lots of put downs, screaming, blaming, name-calling) and my biggest fear is treating my kids the way she treated me and my siblings. She did well in the making sure the house was clean and we ate as a family every night, which I’d like to emulate, but she really shredded our self-worth and independent thinking skills.
I have had many stressful jobs. But being a mom is by far the hardest.
Being more organized may not stop my kids from driving me nuts, but it can help me get my head on straight a little better!
I love that we’re all great moms! Those decals would really help with organization!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad you enjoyed my mobile homework stations DIY 🙂
My pleasure! brilliant really – and you can totally take credit cause its not like there’s this thing called pinterest you might have gotten the idea from 😉 #iwonttell 🙂
I love the idea of this post. I am trying to get more organized for b2s.
I love kidecals! use them on all kinds of stuff. Funny flow chart:) a
I had to LOL at the map. I am all about vaccinations 🙂
I am not a mom, but the infographic was funny. I think my mom will be the only one among her group not to have grand-children as I’m an only child and I don’t want to have any!
apparently, everything leads to ‘you’re a great mom!’ in that map! we all have our own styles in raising children (and cleaning the mess they create), but you’ve got to admit, being a mother is such a huge blessing. <3
i dont feed my daughter organic foods but i guess ti wont make me a bad mother.. hahaha she eats fruits and veggies healthy and a good kid i am a proud mom!
Being a parent is hard and crazy, but so worth it! Loved this post 🙂
i don’t normally use swear words on the internet but HELL YES i’m a good mother. i believe that 99.9% of us are great mothers!! (or fathers)
I have joint custody of my son and because of my ex-husband’s situation, so he could stay in the states, we agreed that he’d be the primary. It was a difficult choice, but my ex and I split amicably and I see him and talk to him whenever my son or I wants. He’s happy, and healthy… so yes, I’m a good mother.
I didn’t have the luckiness of having a good mother or former stepmother figure, so this was one of my fears. I couldn’t imagine being a bad mom.