So much has been said and written recently about us wonderful mothers (mostly by fellow- wonderful mothers like me) on our superhuman abilities to juggle our multiple, self-professed professions (we’re nurse, doctor, chauffeur, play-date, event planner, teacher all rolled into one) and how we need octopus limbs to cope with all that we must accomplish each day. Sigh!
Now let’s give credit where it’s due….we mothers truly do all this and more, there’s no doubting our bone breaking, core-shaking endless, thankless work.
In fact, I’m convinced, mums are so special, God originally designed for parents to be addressed as dad and ‘WOW’ but due to the stampede of the household herd the sign was somehow toppled and overturned which is why it now reads….MOM!
Yet if we are perfectly honest, we don’t always get through the day in quite the self-sacrificing, saccharin-sweet maternal spirit that we claim. In fact we are often far from it! When nobody’s looking we all fall from our angelic stance multiple times each day and have our ‘upside-down wow’ moments…or as our kids have come to know it…we’re simply being…MOM.
Here are some of the things our kids hear from us so often, when we flip from being WOW to MOM…words that they have successfully decoded only too well but are smart enough to keep to themselves:
1)When moms say :
“good morning my darlings. Rise and shine sweethearts”……
What our children are probably thinking:
Wow! She’s so nice in the mornings…..We can still sleep in for ten more minutes
2) When moms say:
“wake up right now. You’re going to be miss your bus. Who asked you’ll to sleep so late despite my telling you’ll to go to bed early…?
What our children are probably thinking:
The mom has woken up now! Better get dressed in record time.
3) When moms say:
“When I was your age I was never glued to gadgets.”
What our children are probably thinking:
“That’s because they weren’t invented yet. You’re pretty glued to your smartphone right now”
4) When moms say:
“You’re my angel!”
What our children are probably thinking:
I just got conned into doing something I don’t want to, like going along to run errands instead of playtime.
5) When moms say:
“Whom have you gone on??!” *sigh*
What our children are probably thinking:
Uh-oh this is the calm before the storm. She’s helpless and frustrated and about to explode even though she secretly knows I’m right.
6) When moms say:
“If your friend jumps in the well will you?….”
(And then more high-pitched for effect)
“Will YOU??”
What our children are probably thinking:
If this metaphorical well is awesome fun then yes….But I would never follow my friends when they study.
7) When moms say:
“I’ll give you one whack”
What our children are probably thinking:
It’s not going to happen. If she really wanted to she would have done it with no prior notice
P.S : keep safe distance anyway…. better safe than sorry.
8) When moms say:
I’m going to count till three…1…2 and….
What our children are probably thinking:
One of these days you really should finish that three!!
9) When moms say:
“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”
What our children are probably thinking:
But perseverance is the key to success. As a parent you should encourage my dedication to acquiring that chocolate.
10) When moms say:
“After all that I do for you?!”
What our children are probably thinking:
err….If I remember correctly I never asked to be born…..dad and you couldn’t wait to have a child.
11) When moms say:
“Don’t you dare!!”
What our children are probably thinking:
Seriously, let’s not risk it!
12) When moms say:
“Because I said so!!”
What our children are probably thinking:
Game over!!!
13) When moms say:
“I love you sooooo much”
What our children are probably thinking:
Finally Wow’s back!!!! I love my mom!!!!
(This post can also be found on Mycity4kids.com on my page The Occupational Mother)
Sunset Effect - Nitya Satyani 