New essay up on CanadianParents.com!

I am very excited to see my personal essay up on CanadianParents.com! Check out “Mom Support” in the Being A Mom section:

 

http://www.canadianparents.com/article/mom-support

 

Being “outed”

My kid keeps “outing” me. Any parent knows it is damn near impossible to have family secrets actually kept secret once you have kids and I knew this broadcast system would eventually kick in after our daughter was born, but jeepers, is nothing sacred anymore?

As our daughter was chatting with a friend over cheese and crackers at the kitchen table, talk turned to chores and helping around the house. Her friend’s mom had a cleaning lady come in occasionally and she wondered if I did, too.

“Do you clean your house?” she asked me. Before I could answer, my daughter did the honours for me:

“Not really.”

Thanks.

At school a few weeks ago, another mom needed to contact me and tracked down my daughter.

“Hey hon, what is your phone number?”

“How should I know?” my daughter shrugged. Great. Now everyone at school knows how delinquent I am in street-proofing our kid. Thanks, honey!

I suppose growing a thicker skin and increasing my comfort level with “sharing” is just something I have to accept. Ahh…the glorious things that motherhood brings!

Seasoned Kindergarten Mom

 

Well, it finally happened. I suppose it was inevitable really, I am just surprised that it only took 2 ½ months. I have become a Seasoned Kindergarten Mom.

 

I started off like any first-time Kindergarten mom taking her child to school: daughter dressed in freshly washed and ironed uniform, me freshly showered with hair done and make-up on. I was not sure how long it would last, but I knew I was starting to slip when the yoga pants came out.

 

I tried to tell myself that the more casual attire was still suitable because I was exercising immediately after drop-off in the morning. And because I was off to exercise, why would I shower before exercising when I would have to shower again right afterward? And who wears make-up to go running? It was when I arrived back at school for pick-up still wearing the same yoga pants, still not showered and not exercised, that I realized I was heading down that slippery slope.

 

I reigned myself in a bit for awhile, but noticed this morning that the freshly laundered and pressed uniform I proudly put on my daughter each day was now on its third wearing since wash day; it also had not seen the underside of a hot iron since…well, for a while anyway.

 

I like to think of this recent development as me growing into my role of Kindergarten Mom, part of my ever-evolving job description and path to parental career advancement. It was bound to happen eventually and I am not sure if 2 ½ months makes me a slow learner, an over-achiever, or just average, but I know that I have arrived.

 

I am the Seasoned Kindergarten Mom.