World’s Okayest Mom: Why I Strive to be Mediocre

Some moms strive to be the best. That’s great and huzzah to them.

I strive to be mediocre and just ok.

Why? Because when I go above that goal, everyone is surprised, even myself.

But my mediocrity knows no bounds.

Here are a few examples

Hair brushing in the morning is a big fight, as is getting dressed and basically getting out of the house and away from the television. My way around that? Candy. Yep. My kids eat candy for breakfast at least 3 out of the 7 days a week. On the other days, they usually just don’t have their hair brushed, and I’m sitting on top of them and fighting to put their clothes on while they try to pull them off.

We recently bought a minivan, which was a big deal. We did it to stop the constant fighting in the back seat. The way we get them to stop fighting now is to turn on the DVD player. But that actually leads to another fight as to which movie gets put on. Sadly, whoever ends up crying the most or screaming the loudest, wins.

okayest momIf one of the kids wakes up feeling a little warm but otherwise acting fine and not throwing up, they get some Ibuprofen and sent to school while I sit at work and watch my phone to see if I get “the call.” I high five myself when I get through a whole day with none.

When playing tea party with my kids, they pour themselves tea, but they pour me wine.

Baths … they just don’t happen as much as they used to. Three kids and two full time working parents means not much time in the evenings. And I’m lazy and can’t deal with the drama that comes with washing hair. So, they get bathed and washed about 3-4 times a week.

School uniforms. We have 4 of them. There are 5 days a week. This means she wears one twice without me washing it. And since this is the last year she is wearing the uniforms, we have not replaced them … since she was 2. Yes, they have paint stains and pockets falling off. But they only have to last 2 more weeks.

Many times while I am cooking dinner for the kids (and by cooking I mean either boiling pasta or microwaving chicken nuggets and veggies), I have the oldest child watch the baby. One night, when I really needed to catch up with my husband and talk some business, I paid the oldest to keep all the kids in the living room and play babysitter. She is 5.

But there are the times I go above my mediocre status.

I am great at braiding hair and will gladly stop what I am doing to braid my daughter’s hair.

I am also the one who happily takes all the kids to get snoballs. My husband has an aversion to all things sticky so this is not his favorite thing to do.

I like sitting down to play a game of cards with my kids. They always find that entertaining.

I love a good dance party and am not afraid to shake it and get silly with my kids. Currently, I am teaching my 5 year old the Thriller dance.

I am by no means a “Pinterest” mom but I do throw a great birthday party. Unicorn cookies? Done. Sparkley cookie cake? Check. Face Painting? Covered. Special birthday dress? Ordered.

I am doing the best I can most days.

I am sure there are moments I could probably do better. But then I think about what I am showing my kids – they have a mom who works full time while balancing a home life with a husband, three kids, and a dog. I might slack on some things, but my kids always know they are loved, even if my love sometimes comes in the form of candy and processed food. And we are making memories, both good and bad. Will they remember the times I fed them chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for a week? Probably not. But will they remember a dance party to the greatest hits of Taylor Swift? I think so. I might be slogging through the daily grind, but it’s the little moments that matter.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I really thought we were the only family that did these things! And what is it with husbands not wanting to do the snowball run. It’s something I look forward to every spring, well that and the first crawfish boil of the season. My kids remember when we went to the beach and ate a huge chocolate cake and had a great time, not that we have cereal and breakfast for dinner more times than I care to count simply because it’s the quickest fix. -I’m OK too!

  2. Thanks for this post. I’m a single adoptive mother of a 2 year old with a over-full time job. Add our 150 lb Great Dane to the mix, and we look like the circus. Found your article while considering whether to relocate to New Orleans. Nice to know you’re there!

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