Sharon DeVellis: Inside Scoop

Sep
20
2011

Good Mom vs. Bad Mom

Bad Mom Is Way More Fun

It's no secret that back to school has been a bit FUBAR in our house with me dropping the ball, or at least my eyes, at the most inopportune moment in the history of inopportune moments.

But finally, we've had success.  Not "this is all completely fixed" success, but a "baby steps with gripping hugs and tears in the eyes but not spilling over the cheeks" success.  

Basically to help Son No. 2 get through his sadness at going to school, I promised to walk him to his classroom every morning.  So each morning I wait until his line walks in, which inevitably is the last one, and follow them, all the while getting smacked around by little kids with big backpacks.  I wait by his locker as he changes his shoes and hangs up his jacket, still getting smacked by backpacks. 

KIDS HAVE NO SENSE OF SPACE.

And then we hug. The tears are there but so is a brave smile. It's not ideal but it's also not the sobbing, hiccupping cry of last week, so I'll take it.

That's Good Mom. She rocks the kazbar and does victory dances around her living room while eating chocolate.  Good Mom also knows Bad Mom is never far behind preparing for a dance off.

Bad mom got a form home for a field trip.  It's the field trip Good Mom went on with Son No. 1 a few years ago where she *may* have lost a child for a few minutes. There's none of this three hours there and back for this field trip. Oh no, sirree.....this baby is 9:00 until 3:00, with a long bus ride and being outdoors all day. 

Bad Mom threw out the form. When Son No. 2 asked me her if she was volunteering, Bad Mom lied and told him "them's volunteer positions was all filled up". 

Apparently Bad Mom is part hillbilly.

Son No. 2 looked dejected but Bad Mom didn't cave because she knows she would turn into Psycho Mom if she ever did that field trip again.  Plus, Bad Mom also volunteers at school which turns her back into Good Mom in the blink of an eye.

I think we all have a bit of the Good Mom and Bad Mom in us but what I know for sure is that we also all have The Trying Our Best Mom.

Somedays that'll just have to do.

As an aside, Bad Mom farted yesterday and blamed it on Son No. 2. 

She's kind of funny.  I like her.

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