We all want the very best for our children, but it’s impossible to do everything right all the time. Admitting that is freeing – and it’s also encouraging to other moms in the midst of intense seasons. That’s the idea behind our Monday Mom Confessions and we’d love for you to join us – share your own confession in the comments below! Let’s throw off the weight of perfection and get real around here!
Most days I arrive to work by 6am so I can head out by 2:30 to pick up my son when his school gets out at 2:45. That only works on the days I don’t have later meetings but the point is that my day, like yours, starts early and doesn’t let up until my head hits the pillow. While part of me would like to say that the hours I am not at work I am 100% dedicated to spending every moment with my kids as an organized, Pinterest inspired, picture perfect mother – that would be a lie. And today, I intend to speak the truth to you…about the lies I sometimes tell my kids.
For me, working out is a release I must have on a regular basis. It’s a choice I make to ensure I remain strong and healthy for myself and my kids. Luckily my kids are young and enjoy going with me to the gym. But there are often evenings where I go at an hour that would conflict with them starting their bedtime routine. Or sometimes I just don’t want to deal with toting them to and from the gym.
On these nights, I leave them at home with my husband (yes, he is amazing and supports my working out routine). But because I honestly don’t have the extra energy to spend on explaining this to them, I lie. I tell them either childcare is closed when it really isn’t or that I am going to Kelly’s house. Kelly is one of my best friends who works out with me often. And the lie came about because my two year old daughter asked, “you go to Kelly’s?” one day when I had workout clothes on. And for whatever reason, when I said “um yes,” my kids both accepted this response instead of bawling over not being able to join me at the gym. So, the lie continues.
My son will sometimes complain about wearing a seatbelt or not being able to sit in the front seat. While I could say that I rationalized with him on the safety aspects of these things, that would be a lie. Instead, I told him that the car has a sensor and literally will not turn on if everyone is not safely in their “assigned” seat and buckled up. The most humorous part is that once my husband put our son on his lap as he pulled in from the driveway to the garage (ok please don’t judge me) yet our son didn’t even question the fact that the car worked. Perhaps he thinks it’s only mommy’s car that has the amazing sensory system. I’m waiting for him to call me out on this one.
Between my husband and I, I am by far the one to cave easier. Our kids know this and they use it against me. My husband supports my gym routine, as mentioned earlier, because I then support his. Typically once our son is upstairs asleep (or so we think), my husband will leave for the gym. And within about 2 minutes, I will hear the clamoring of little feet on their way downstairs. After many nights of back and forth battles trying to get him back to bed, I was frustrated trying to figure out how to stop this routine. Knowing that he doesn’t come out of his room the nights that my husband is home because he knows daddy won’t be like mommy and say ok to one more glass of water or 17 more hugs, my husband (yes, I’ll give him his deserved credit) thought of the most brilliant lie ever.
My husband recorded himself on my phone saying sternly, “Mason – go to bed!”
And I kid you not, the next night when I heard the clamoring of the feet I played the recording of my husband at the bottom of the staircase so our son would think dad was still home. And he bought it! I still laugh each night when I have to play it or sit downstairs talking to myself in a pretend conversation to make Mason think that dad is still home. I could just be more stern and just stop saying yes to the extra bedtime procrastination requests so my kids would soon learn I am not a pushover.
But instead, I choose to lie.
What’s your Monday Mom Confession? Tell us in the comments!
Would you like to be featured on Monday Mom Confessions? We’re looking for guest writers; email us at comments@allmomdoes.com with your 1-2 sentence confession. If it’s approved you’ll be asked to write the full article and it will be published on allmomdoes!
