Last year, I came across a blog post that was condemning moms who were trying to make their children's lives magical by doing extra special things, like making it appear as if a leprechaun had peed in the toilet on St. Patrick's Day.
I have since tried to find the post to share with you, but alas it has become lost in the sea of posts on how to make St. Patrick's Day magical. To summarize, the writer wanted us to know that moms who go the extra mile are spoiling their kids.
It seemed like we started out by shunning those moms that couldn't do it all. The ones who hired someone to sew on the Girl Scout patches, ran the kids through the drive-thru for dinner and bought cupcakes instead of making them. Now we are blasting the moms who are able to go the extra mile and do a little something extra to brighten their kids' day. Are you kidding me?
The writer of the post struck a nerve with me for three reasons.
First, I had just finished drawing green leprechaun feet on our toilet seat and dying the water green, so that I could hear my kids squeal with delight the next morning. It took me all of about one minute, and I'm pretty sure my kids did not turn into spoiled monster children because of it.
Second, I am glad to be raising kids at a time when mothers have come to realize that they can't do it all and don't have to pretend like they can. We no longer have to maintain the picture perfect family and can agree that just because we do complain about our lives doesn't mean that we hate it or can't hack it.
Third, we don't need to attack or criticize those who are creative or crafty or adept at multi-tasking or anything else. We don't need to cut them down for any reason. Period.
I feel pretty lucky I have a tribe of moms who just plain get it. We do what we can to raise our families and hopefully we have fun along the way. That means speaking our minds, too -- even when our kids drive us bat shit crazy. So let's all take a step back and worry a little less about who's dying the toilet water green. Instead, let's lift each other up. We are in this together.
A version of this post originally ran on It's Really 10 Months. You can also find Kim on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Kim Schenkelberg: Although sarcasm is often her tone, she counts on her friends to know that underneath it is a caring soul. Kim obtained her master's degree in social work soon after she delivered her first child. She practices in the fields of domestic adoption and mental health therapy. Kim co-authored a book It's Really 10 Months: Delivering the Truth About the Glow of Pregnancy and Other Blatant Lies. Kim is a stepparent to two quickly growing boys. She has two daughters and one son with her husband. Lord help them. This is one crazy busy clan of seven! You can find Kim on social media sites @itsreally10months.