From our Users: Rites of Passage
Ever have a defining parenting moment that made you pat yourself on the back or do a full-on face palm? Recently, we sent out a question to our moms with kids over the age of one: What’s a recent experience that felt like a parenting rite of passage?
The responses ranged from sweet to shocking, from brief to not-so-brief and unsurprisingly, a lot of them involved poop. Check out some of the answers:
Celebrations
Having my A.D.D. child walk with me in store without running off, having to leave the store or placing child in a cart.
— Trusting ADD
My daughter just turned five!
— Loin Fruit and L Rey
Having my 21-year-old schedule her own dentist appointment!
— MN mom of 2 grown kids
Baby started walking!
— Michael’s Mommy
Hearing from relatives how well-behaved and how kind my children are.
— Weltz mom of 5!
Having child start drivers ed!
— HowDidHeGetSoOld?!
My kid started reminding me of his daily schedule (“Today I have after-school book club and drum lessons at 7.”) What happened to the days when he didn’t know what comes after Monday?!?!
— Zion and Marion’s chauffeur, maid, and personal shopper.
Mixed Surprises
Having my toddler have a yelling tantrum at the store. At least it wasn’t a screaming one. He just didn’t want to be there. Ugh.
— Angela, mom of 2 year old
Seeing my teen son post inappropriate sexual content on social media. 😳
— Momming a Teen
Listening to a toddler make the same sound over and over and over and over again. A very annoying, one-tone sound that sounds like a mix between whining and yelling.
— Perfectly Posh Mahm
When your child doesn’t want to leave day care and you’re thinking, ”Fine, stay. For another hour…I could use the break too!!” Haha
— ConfessionsOfATwinMom
Buying athletic cups for the boys.
— Grand mom to 2 boys
Epic Mom Moments
I drop my daughter off at school in the mornings, usually still in my pajamas. The other day as I’m pulling away I realize she left her backpack! (Kindergarteners, smh) So, clad in a nightie, house slippers and my calf length winter coat I turned around, parked and marched in all my slippered glory to the front office to drop it off. Another mom gave me the slight head nod of understanding on the way out. I treated myself to an extra large coffee after that one.
— Single Mom of a fairy queen.
While 5 hours North of home on vacation I learned of a bad pending snow storm at home the next day when we were to be driving in. In order to avoid it we had to be on the road by 7 am. I’m a single parent of a 3-year-old boy. I proceeded to pack up the car in such a strategic way that I could feed and provide entertainment single-handedly and we successfully made it home by noon. At that time I made lunch, we ate, and I got my son to bed for nap. During nap, I unpacked the car, finished laundry, took a shower, and was on the couch reading by the time my son woke up. The next day I noted all of this and may have commented that I am a badass Mama.
— Single Mama of a heart warrior
Having my almost 3-year-old tell me I wasn’t being kind to her. And while her behavior lead to my tone of voice, she was correct that I was not being kind. Out of the mouths of babes.
— SWMWT (Single working mom with toddler)
So. Much. Poop. (And Vomit)
Finding a brown streak trailing down my white-carpeted stairs, after my 2 year old scooted her way down the stairs on her bottom.
— Michigan mamma
My 2-year-old daughter started vomiting and I caught it in my hands while yelling at my husband for a towel or bucket.
— Kaddinsmom
Everything potty training! First time running to chase after a toddler at the playground with my breast out feeding a baby. First poopy diaper with no wipes on hand, etc.
— Sage, mom of a toddler and newly 1 year old
My daughter coughed so hard that she spit up. On me.
— N’s Mama
I picked up some mud on the rug with my bare hand and then realized it was poop.
— Single mom of 3
Do you have funny, frustrating, and/or life-changing experiences to share? Holler at your Hello Mom friends—we’d love to hear from you!
