Children? What children? Do I have CHILDREN?

Yesterday I had a day chock full of activity: New intern in the office. Meeting with my business partner. Meeting with a client. Skype meeting with another client. Proposal to complete. Annual report to finish. And so on and so on…

I didn’t even THINK ABOUT MY CHILDREN until 3:30 in the afternoon. Truly. I went a full 6 1/2 hours without them even entering into my mind.

Just what kind of a mother AM I anyway?

I suppose that I could look on the bright side and cite that my lack of concern was a testament to the quality of our babysitter.

Or was it?

What if it is just a sign of my being a heinous human being? I swear sometimes  I thank God that I no longer have small babies because I am not entirely convinced that I wouldn’t forget them in a grocery cart or leave them at the bank or something equally as ridiculous as that.

There is that part of me that feels like something is off in my motherly DNA. Why am I not as obsessively worried about them anymore? Is it a sign of their increasing growth and independence or my increasing self-absorbance?

Am I just too caught up in my work?

Is this normal?

Should I be stripped of my motherly title and all of the benefits contained therein? (Cough. “Benefits”) Anyone else ever experience something like this?

Tags: forgetting children, Mother, Working

Moms and guilt.  They go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like peas and carrots.  Like gray hair and sleepless nights.

I can’t tell you how much I wrestle with this issue.  As you well know by now, I am not a stay at home mother.  I am a working mother which, to be frank, adds another layer to the guilt cake that I serve up each day.

It is extremely hard not to compare myself to other mothers.  When I see a mother playing with her kids on the playground while I am on my way to a meeting, it is hard not to feel slightly unfit to hold the “mommy” title.  And you can  forget taking time away for myself on top of all of that.  I mean, how dare I? I am already away from them so much as it is, right?  <heavy sigh> Like I said, I wrestle with this issue constantly.  It seems like there is just no way to avoid the trappings of mommy guilt.

I recently read a post by Cara at Land of Bean.  She did a great post (I encourage you to read it!) about being a mom, her need to recharge and guilt.  An excerpt: (more…)

Tags: family, Guilt, living without guilt, Mother, taking time away from your children, working mother guilt

It is finally here.  The day I have been dreading.  The day where I officially become the “un-cool mom.”  The day where I admit to the world that I JUST DON’T GET IT!

What don’t I get, you ask?

AHEM - Silly Bandz

My kids are nuts for them.

My take:  If you collect Silly Bandz they can cost a trillion dollars, schools are banning them and they break when you look at them sideways.  Which, of course, hasn’t stopped them from being the ultimate cool thing.  Or me from buying them for the kids.

It is an amazing thing, these bandz.

I’ve learned that they are KID CURRENCY and a KID STATUS SYMBOL. Kids count them, trade them and try to get their hands on the silly bands that are the most RARE. (Fantasy pack!) And they cry in devastation when the bands break.  Cause you know, life is all about the the flimsy colored rubber stuff.  DUH, mom.

Most importantly, they are a great equalizer.  Doesn’t matter who you are, how much money you have, how many friends you do or don’t have… you can still trade the bandz and be included.  That, to me, is cool.

That being said, I still don’t entirely “get it.”  But I sure wish I had invented it!

BTW: Wanna know the mastermind who invented the phenomenon?  His name is Rob Croak and he is from Toledo Ohio.  Fascinating article and video about the company behind the craze by USA Today here.

Tags: humor, mom blogger, Mother, Parenting, rob croak, Rubber band, silly bandz, silly bandz craze, Toledo Ohio, USA Today