5:55 a.m. “Mamaaaaaaaan!!”
Here we go. Child 1 wakes up 5 minutes before the alarm goes off… as usual. Why don’t I just set my alarm later, while I’m at it? Oh right, because I’m really tired and I’m still hoping to get those 5 minutes of sleep.
“Are you tired? Go to bed earlier!”
Yes, but I really need to unwind first. And then I have to clear the table, do the dishes, and put away some toys to restore some semblance of a living room. I have to plan tomorrow’s meals.
“If you prepare everything the night before, it’ll be way less stressful for the kids in the morning. We rush them so much!”
Well, it’ll be frozen meals tomorrow night—no prep tonight. Plus, it’s quick; it’ll give me more time for homework.
“Homemade meals are so much better! No salt, no fat, no sugar, no preservatives! We stuff them with enough antibiotics and chemicals these days…”
Okay, I’ll take the time to make it—it’s true, it’s not rocket science. I’ll put a TV show on for the kids while I cook; that’ll make things easier.
“You know that screen time is really bad for young children? It’s hugely detrimental to their brain development.”
Yeah, I’ll have to find some other activities for them.
“There are tons of Montessori ideas online—they don’t take long to make and are great for their development.”
Here you go, kids—here’s a fun game that Mom made all by hand. The goal is to…
“Why does it need a goal? We really should let kids play more freely to stimulate their creativity!”
Okay, perfect then—I’ll let them play, and I’ll take a few minutes to check my Facebook.
“We need to put down our phones—we’re on them all the time! We’re setting such a bad example!”
Yeah, I’m often on my phone—it’s true… Come on, kids, come here—Mom needs some hugs and tickles!
“Oh, but not too much, okay? Otherwise, you’re subtly teaching them that it’s okay to push their physical limits!”
Oh, I didn’t realize I could be harming them by showing them love?
“Mom, I’m bored—it’s been a long time since we’ve seen my cousins!”
That’s true—we should invite them over. That reminds me, I should visit my own grandmother, too.
“We neglect our elders so much these days!”
At the same time, I don’t know when I’ll find the time—I should start shopping for Christmas gifts.
“You’re buying gifts? Talk about overconsumption! What about the environment—have you thought about that? Make your own gifts this year—it’s so much more personal!”
Hmm. Okay, maybe we could go to an amusement park this year—a family outing doesn’t pollute!
“Those places are total germ havens!”
Yeah, but they love it so much. Plus, what if it tires out my youngest enough that he starts sleeping through the night? It would do me so much good to get a full night’s sleep…
“It really isn’t a big deal that he doesn’t sleep through the night, is it? It’s society that puts all that pressure on our babies. If he wakes up, it’s because he has a need, and your role as a mother is to meet it. You really shouldn’t let him cry.”
I know, but I’m so tired…
“You chose to be a mom—it comes with the territory!”
I guess so. Oh, I could go out to dinner with my boyfriend and catch a movie one night—that would give us a well-deserved break.
“Are you going to have someone watch them? Taking them everywhere gets them used to behaving in public!”
It’s true that they’d love to go see a movie—it would make them happy. So I’m going to take a day off soon, just for myself.
“Ah, parents these days—they just want others to take care of their kids by sending them to daycare!”
On the other hand, taking a day off might not be such a good idea. I need to be more productive if I want to be recognized; I really love my job.
“Commute, work, sleep—our society is so sad!”
Yeah, I really need to slow down. Plus, I’ve been running out of patience lately.
“Be careful! Have you read about positive parenting? It’s really better—we say ‘no’ way too often! We should offer them choices instead of putting them down, did you know that?”
…
Aaaah, the kids are in bed.
“The perfect time to get your 30 minutes of daily exercise! You’ve got to do it if you want to stay in shape and watch your grandchildren grow up!”
Oops, that’s true…
9:00 p.m., finally in bed.
“Honey, we hardly ever make love anymore.”
It’s true that I’ve been neglecting our relationship lately. I just don’t have the energy anymore.
In the end, I spend too much time on my phone; the kids eat poorly, are poorly behaved, and neglected; I overconsume; I don’t do enough housework or exercise; I’m not efficient enough at work; and I’m neither a good mother nor a good wife…
And then we’re surprised to find that modern mothers are anxious? Since when has being a mother become so complicated?