The other day I was getting the oil changed in my car. While I was waiting for the mechanic to do his thang, I decided to peruse the magazines. Way deep down in the pile under Mechanics Weekly, Muscle Car USA, TIME, Newsweek etc. was a parenting magazine that I would sometimes read when my boys were much younger. On the cover was the headline, “The Secrets of Motherhood.” The date on the magazine was only November 2008. So I took a gander thinking that it wasn’t too out of date…and what possibly could be the secrets.
And honestly, that kind of headline makes me roll my eyes. Because really, after several thousand years of recorded history, am I supposed to believe that women are just now revealing the secrets of motherhood? That we’ve been able to keep those secrets under our collective hat all this time? I don’t buy it. I know better. Women like to share. Women like to share in a way that makes men queasy. There are no secrets among the motherhood.
For example:
Woman A sees Woman B for the first time ever at a local playground. They share a park bench as they watch their children play. Woman A turns to Woman B and compliments her shoes. Woman B repays the compliment by telling Woman A her birth story in complete and graphic detail from the conception through the delivery of the placenta. Woman A reciprocates by tellling Woman B that she pooped during the delivery. Woman B then says, “I like your shoes too.”
See? There are NO secrets in motherhood, all is known, revealed, discussed and blogged. And then commented upon.
And if the secrets of motherhood were somehow going to be revealed after 6,000 years, I’m sure they would be revealed to OPRAH first, then me so that I could tout them in my puny little blog.
So my dear readers, do you think there are any “Secrets” to motherhood or are we all flying by the seat of our pants? Do tell!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Well. Since "every child is different", I don't think anyone has it figured out. I think we're just all trying to the best we can and trying to learn from our mistakes as we go....as well as other mother's experiences expressed at the park, RS, blogging, etc. I've read a few good books along the way but then again I still remain skeptical at all of the "How to Mother" books b/c a lot of these mom's (writers) have completely different backgrounds...i am babbling and losing myself here....where am i and what am i talking about?
Did enjoy the point you're making though.
Dito with Katie, and with you. I don't know that there are neccesarily any secrets, things just come to you and you figure out what works with your child.
In my experience thus far, I can try something that someone told me to do with Baylee, because it worked so well with their child and Baylee will have nothing to do with it. What I have found that works the best is consistency.
Consistency with what ever you do is the key to helping your child adapt and trying to make things normal for them. Someone's Norm may not be norm to someone else.
P.S. What is with you and Jeanna using the word PERUSE so much lately. I am not going to lie. You two are way better versed than I and know your language way better than I, it is just funny. It sounds like you two found this word and liked it that you had to see how many times you could use it. HA HA HA!! Love you guys. Maybe I should try it, it would probably help me expand my vocab.
Kelly - peruse is just a classier and more concise way of saying "looked at" or "looked through"
You know me, I'm all about being concise and classy (are you rolling your eyes?) I can hear that "Oh Brother" all the way across the country!
I love you!
Let me introduce myself (since I don't recall doing that yet) - I'm aunt to Julie J, sister to Sandy (if Sandy is the gal I think she is) and a fan of the blog - if you ever decide to go private I'll have to beg you let me in! Anyway - all this talk reminded me of the funniest Oprah ever - it was years ago - she had a couple of "experts" on child rearing on the show as well as a mom. I think she was mom of 13 kids and may be the same woman whom David Letterman had on his show because she had so many kids and she baked her own bread. OK - so on Oprah - the experts are talking about methods to encourage children to do what they don't want to do. An example given was using a timer to get your child into the bath something like "It's time to take a bath...you have 3 minutes on the timer to get yourself ready to get in the bath..." and the experts were going back and forth about this and how to get kids in the bath and then the mom says something like "If no one will take a bath, that's time for mom to take the bath - a long bubble bath...go in, lock the door..." It was so beautiful, I just can't tell you how beautiful it was to hear her say that - the experts (if I recall had no children of their own) were shaking their heads but the rest of the world was applauding - it brought Oprah and the house down - so funny
Kathy
I'm pretty sure I'm flying by the seat of my pants. I will say there are a few things all Mother's should know and unbelievably some don't. I attended a fireside the other day that talked about how we need to refrain from criticism in our homes, I am on boeard with that, but I admit it can be difficult at times. This motherhood thing is hard there's no way around it and noone but the man upstairs has all the answers.
Harold and I were talking the other day about how now that we are parents we can see that at any point in time our kids can pretty much decide never to do what we ask and there isn't a whole lot we can do about it. I mean, what made us "mind" our parents and "do what they say!" because, "I said so!" ???
My secret: I'm praying hard!
As for perusing, Kelly I just latch on to certain words sometimes. Two days ago my mom asked me why I kept using the word "buoyant." I have no idea! It had just come up in conversation.
Post a Comment