Dear Mom who sent your kid to school with no socks today:
Thank you.
My morning started with me mentally counting ahead two hours to figure out what time everyone’s bus had been rescheduled because the previous day’s snowstorm had delayed the opening of school.
As I was packing snacks and making breakfast, my nine-year-old started to scream in an unGodly pitch because it suddenly occurred to him he forgot to do one of his homework assignments.
Who knew that me telling him that he had time to do it would do nothing to calm him down.
“I don’t want to go to school. I hate when we have a delayed day. I hate school.”
The meltdown went on and off for more than half an hour.
In between trying to figure out what was really bothering him, offering comfort, and wanting to sell him, I had to constantly remind my teenager to move it so he wouldn’t miss his bus.
Brotherly love was in short supply.
“He just hit me.”
“He hit me first”
“Stop your crying. Nobody wants to go to school.”
I added to the noise with cries of, “Don’t hit your brother. Stop whining. Don’t be mean. Move it. I can’t drive you if you miss your bus.”
I was totally feeling on top of my game and was expecting my mother-of-the-year award to come any minute.
Then I noticed that my daughter decided to protest the snow by dressing herself for school in a bathing suit. She was very proud of this.
I looked at her and realized that since I still had an hour before her bus came, I could put this situation on the back burner and go back to the battle of the boys.
In the midst of all this chaos, my teen realized that he couldn’t find his phone.
Well now the world was really coming to an end. How could a teen go to school without his iPhone? Climate change, economic inequality, and the threat of terrorism pale in comparison.
More crying. More fighting. More yelling.
I handled the situation perfectly by screaming that if he didn’t leave for the bus this minute, it wouldn’t matter where his phone was because I would cancel it and never let him have another one for all eternity.
Yes, I was very proud of myself. He left singing my praises and feeling the warmth of my love. Well, at least he was off to school.
One down, two to go.
I still had a very unhappy nine-year-old, but he resigned himself to his fate when his bus pulled up.
The doors opened and it was then that I saw your daughter. She was talking with a friend and smiled at me. Her hair was in braids. She was wearing her coat and matching hat and looked adorable, just as she does every day.
Then for some reason I noticed her feet. She wasn’t wearing her usual snow boots. In fact she was wearing sneakers better suited for spring. With no socks.
I could only imagine how this happened. Maybe you were trying to get your other kids out the door, and she ran out of the house before you saw her? Maybe you had a meeting at work you couldn’t miss, and someone else was charged with getting the kids ready? Maybe she couldn’t find her boots, and you spent the whole morning turning your house upside down looking for them? Or perhaps you were just tired of battling with her and finally said, fine go out in the snow in your sneakers.
Who knows?
Whatever the reason, I want you to know that in that minute, I felt a little less alone.
My mood instantly improved and I was able to get my daughter out of her bathing suit and into far more appropriate clothing without either one of us bursting into tears.
You saved my day.
We moms can be so hard on ourselves and in turn so hard on each other. I realized then and there that sometimes the nicest thing we can do for one another other is to just be human.
Sincerely,
Kathy
I would like to thank that mom, too, because I have had too many mornings as you just described above and even have an article in draft that I need to publish soon that echoes your sentiment. Trust me when I say I get it completely, too.
Janine Huldie recently posted…Truth, Colored Cars & Play Me In Poker
Funny isn’t it? Thanks so much sweet friend! xo
Oh my yes!
Today I ended up running to the store with my son in pajama bottoms and crocs and my daughter wearing sweats under a skirt and her t-shirt backwards. And crocs too. There are still piles of snow everywhere but the sidewalks are all clear and the parking lots are all puddles so it wasn’t as bad as it sounds… But I was torn between fighting the kids and the humiliation of appearing with them in public like that. You can guess which urge won. 🙂
Robin recently posted…When You Live With a Recently Potty Trained Little Girl…
Robin love it!!! Thanks!
Such a perfect snapshot of a crazy morning. The ability to have such a little thing change your whole perspective and mood is so wonderful. Sometimes a step back (and a girl without socks) is all we need to realize, we’re all just paddling along in the same boat. Wonderful. 🙂
Alisa / Icescreammama recently posted…You really can’t dance in glass slippers
Kathy you painted such a vivid pictures of the shananigans at your house….and I feel a bit guilty for laughing! Glad that they all got to school ok!
Don’t feel guilty for laughing Lisa, lord knows I would be completely lost if my darlings didn’t crack me up!!! Lol! xoxox
I don’t miss the hectic mornings getting my boys off to school. You brought me right back there. And only you can find the silver lining. Love this Kathy! xoxo
[email protected] recently posted…Skinny Baked Vegetarian Egg Rolls with Peanut Sauce
You don’t miss it, huh Nancy? Lol! Ugh!! It was a “fun” day! xoxo
I absolutely loved this Kathy. It reminded me to never be so quick to judge someone else. We are dealing with the same things and supporting each other is the best thing we can do for each other!
Rena McDaniel recently posted…MEET THE REAL ALZHEIMER’S EXPERT!!!
Thanks so much Rena! xo
When my kids were little it was my husband who had to get them out the door…in retrospect, it was probably a good thing. She was able to express her individuality in a way I’m sure I never would have allowed!
Jennifer recently posted…Living In Between Love and Fear
Lol! Jennifer I have to say that thankfully most of our mornings aren’t as hectic! Thank God!! Lol! xo
I swear our kids feed off of one another when one of them is in a funk. Mornings around here can go from harmonious to total chaos in a matter of seconds. My boys like to hide shoes from one another when we’re already running late. Hide. Shoes. Let’s just say that I don’t handle it with grace:)
Jill Ginsberg recently posted…Signs you’re way too stressed
Jill mine do too! One goes down they all go down!! xo
Such a re-assuring piece that every mother should read.They must know they are not alone. The chaos in the mornings can make you do so many things. We have been awfully late on some mornings and at least twice I remember telling my daughter in the garage- “We don’t have time to run back into the house to get the socks. I think sneaker by itself is just fine.”
I am not sure if I have been judged or someone was as understanding as you and knew why my daughter did not have any sock on her.
Mornings really can be so crazy!! It’s so nice to know we are not alone, and that sometimes the “mistakes” we make can help another crazy mom or dad! xo
Great post, as usual! Now, if only other moms had your perspective instead of negative judgment. Thanks for sharing all this, Kathy. I’m sure a lot of us feel less alone now knowing that it’s not only us who are having crazy mornings filled with nagging and tension. Mothers of the year, indeed!
Joy recently posted…Life in Between
I can not believe that the Huffington Post reprinted this article. It is practically incomprehensible. Like most blogs, it needs an editor to correct the errors and to make it readable. I’ll never watse my tie reading one of these posts again.
Mark I do appreciate that you came over and shared your opinion with me. So sorry you wasted your time on my piece. Hope the rest of your day is better!
First off, don’t ever waste your time responding to another Mark ever again. He is not a mother, nor is he a blogger. And in his critique of your errors, he misspelled the word “waste.” So, that being said, this is a great post about the frustrations of motherhood and I felt less alone just reading through this. Because we go through many battles in the morning – different types because my children are younger, but the same concept. We do what we can to make it. The day that Mark births a baby, he can critique mommy bloggers.
Alexa recently posted…Leprechaun Hunt with Leprechaun Munch
Thank you sweet friend! Much love! xoxo
He also misspelled time
I love you! xoxo
Thank you SO much for this piece. I, too, thank that mom who sent her daughter to school with no socks. I thank her and you on behalf of all mothers.
Kitt O’Malley recently posted…Spring is REALLY LOUD
Kit it really did make such a difference in my day!! Thanks so much! xo
I thank her and you too! This is a lovely, honest piece, and I’m so very happy to see the positivity that is being spread in these comments and amongst HuffPost readers. Well done!
Lesley I was so taken by that too. I love that we really are not alone, so many of us have gone through it!! Thanks so much! 🙂
I’ve gotten the mux of stares and solidarity smiles hustling my 3-yr-old sized 7-yr-old into stores coatless in 15-degree weather….but HTG some days I would rather stick a fork in my eye.