I love to write essays on parenting and motherhood, but I also like to write humor pieces that help me laugh at this crazy parenting experience. Here is a good sample of my writing, and some places I’ve been published.
The Identity Crisis of Motherhood, published on The Huffington Post
“I’m guessing that every mother goes through the identity crisis of motherhood. We have this idealistic view of motherhood before we actually become mothers, and then, when reality hits, we question whether or not we truly are who we thought we were. But I thought I was so patient. But I thought I was a good multi-tasker. But I thought I was a good cook. Motherhood swallows some of us whole and spits us out like newborn puppies. We stumble over our feet and fall flat on our faces just trying to walk a few steps.
But slowly, we get the hang of things, feel more confident, and, most important of all, forgive ourselves. Through lots of practice and time, we learn that the guilt will eat us alive, and that acceptance of ourselves (even with all of our faults) is the only way to survive it all. So we dive in and devote hours and days and years of our lives to tiny human beings. We sacrifice and put our own needs last and learn to shower in 3.5 minutes. When we become mothers, we become a different kind of superhero. One who is invisible to the outside world, but is everything to the world right inside our own houses.”
10 Things Every Parent is Doing Right, published on The Huffington Post
“9. You’re a teacher. I underestimated this as a parent. Not only do we teach them basic things like eating, talking, walking and SLEEPING, but we have to teach them crazy stuff, too. Like, why licking the pavement is not OK, and why we don’t peek under the door of the bathroom stall next to us in a public restroom. You have to teach them not to interrupt, how to be a good friend and how to be a responsible, respectful, kind human being. As a parent, you have to teach E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. So, good job for being a teacher of all things common and crazy. You’re probably doing it right.”
Be Brave, published on Mamalode:
“I look back at my 20-something self, and realize, I was very, very brave.
Then I became a mom.
Suddenly the world was terrifying again. My anxiety started almost the instant I became pregnant and hasn’t left me since. I’m learning to be brave again. Because bravery isn’t just about doing a dare-devilish task. Being brave can mean lots of things. But, what does bravery mean when you’re “just” a stay-at-home mom?”
Saying It Out Loud, published on Mamalode:
“The beauty of motherhood is that we grow. That’s the beauty of life, really. It’s a unique experience perfectly tailored to us, and what we need. And, what I need some days is to feel like I can say out loud, “I’m suffocating”.
For me, that saying it out loud part, is cathartic. It helps me exhale and re-focus and think, “OK. This is harder than I thought, but I can do this.” And, I do. I wake up in a better mood the next day, or maybe I get more sleep. I try to do things differently to course correct, and I become better. In little tiny increments that maybe no one is noticing but me. But, the saying it out loud part? It helps.”
20 Reasons My Two Year Old Had a Hard Day, published on Scary Mommy
“My two-year-old said, with a mischievous look in his eye, “Mommy. I had a hard day.”
I turned to his older brother and said, “Did he just say what I think he did?” He shrugged. Five-year-old brothers tend to not care what two-year-old brothers are saying. So, I asked, “Did you just say you’ve had a hard day!?” He smiled his coy little smile and replied, “Yeah” as he continued to twirl in circles for some unknown reason that was making me slightly queasy just watching him.
I didn’t know whether to be horrified that he’s obviously heard this sentence one too many times, laugh at his cuteness in saying something so grown up, or be worried that I’m coddling him too much and therefore, he already thinks his life is rough. At the ripe old age of two years old. Instead, I gave it a little thought, because having three kids makes me pensive when it’s not making me yell-y, and thought to myself, “Hmm. Maybe life was hard for this kid today.”
After all, I could think of several reasons that, in his mind, life was extra tough that day…”
How to Find a Best Friend, Wall Street Journal Interview
“Meredith Ethington was surprised when a first-grade classmate gave her daughter Avery a “Best Friends Forever” necklace. It seemed risky at an age when children “change their minds so quickly,” says Ms. Ethington, of Salt Lake City. Indeed, the classmate soon took the necklace back for no apparent reason, and Avery “really took it to heart.”
Ms. Ethington comforted Avery and encouraged her to look for friends who share her interests and make her happy, rather than sad and upset, says Ms. Ethington, who wrote about the incident on her blog. “It was heartbreaking for me as a parent to see her go through that, but that’s how they learn. It’s going to make her stronger,” Ms. Ethington says in an interview. Avery, now 8, has made several new friends this year.”
Racing, Freshly Pressed on WordPress.com
“I’m not an athlete or a runner. But, I know what it feels like to race. I imagine running a long race like a marathon feels the same. Like it’s never going to end. But, when it does, there is a release. A feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of joy. That you did something impossible. You did something you thought you could never do.
The race of raising these little people is the same. Sometimes it feels like the next milestone will never come. But it does. And it goes, and you miss it. The race seems long sometimes. Some days, it seems impossible. But, as parents, we are all doing it. We do things we never thought we would be able to do.
Maybe we don’t get the best time. There will always be the person that seems to run the race faster, or better than us. But we are participating. We are living each day to our best ability. We are running the race the best way we know how.”
