The portrayal of motherhood in the media often falls into two extremes: the overprotective helicopter mom or the neglectful parent. However, my experiences within a community of mothers reveal a more nuanced reality. Moms frequently go above and beyond for their kids in countless, often unnoticed ways. Sometimes, these efforts are uncomfortable, challenging, embarrassing, or downright absurd. But that’s what we do as moms. After surveying various mom groups, here are some of the most outrageous—and occasionally heroic—things mothers have done for their children.
- You will meticulously remove all the “plain pasta” from a plate of tortellini just so your child has something to eat for dinner.
- To warm up the toilet for your 3-year-old daughter, you’ll sit on the seat yourself, enduring the chill for her comfort.
- When your fussy baby finally drifts off to sleep, you might even contact the local airport to request flight reroutes, just to ensure his peace is uninterrupted.
- You may find yourself tasting your own booger because your son insisted it was delicious and wouldn’t let up until you tried it too.
- You’ll stash away two cookies for your kids after Sunday school, knowing chaos will ensue if you don’t, while witnessing another child’s meltdown over the lack of cookies.
- At 3 a.m., you might stand in your kitchen, bare-chested, dipping your raw nipples into shot glasses of salt water while simultaneously rocking a cradle with your foot.
- Despite having a newborn and a demanding commute between Washington and New York, you’ll pump breast milk in the Amtrak bathroom twice a week, twice a day, for nine months.
- You won’t hesitate to suck the snot from a child’s nose and catch her vomit in your bare hands.
- You’ll carefully prepare the perfect kale chip: just three drops of olive oil and one grain of sea salt, hoping to entice them to eat their veggies.
- You may spend the initial weeks of your baby’s life on a relentless cycle of pumping and syringe-feeding, prioritizing their needs above your own.
- You’ll allow your toddler to play with your lockable travel mug of coffee first thing in the morning, rather than snatching it away, even going so far as to buy a decoy mug filled with water to distract him.
- You’ll let her devour the first tomato from your garden and most of them after that, even though tomatoes are your absolute favorite.
- You will hold in countless bathroom trips just to accommodate the needs of your little ones.
- You will selflessly give him the last bite of dessert, even when it’s your favorite.
- During a heat wave, you’ll drive around for two naps a day, searching for cool, quiet spots while listening to the same two lullabies on repeat, moving the car every half hour to keep the baby cool.
- In a speeding car, you’ll hunch over one child to nurse him while simultaneously cleaning up goldfish crackers spilled by the other, who is now in tears over being hungry.
- To comfort your toddler, who fears mannequins, you’ll stroll through a department store, tickling the “tummies” of the dummies.
Isn’t it remarkable? Whenever we doubt our abilities as mothers, we should reflect on all the outrageous things we’ve done for our kids. Did we appear ridiculous or selfish at times? Certainly, but we’d do it all over again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to whip up a fresh batch of kale chips.
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Summary:
This article discusses the humorous and sometimes heroic lengths mothers go to for their children, highlighting 17 unique and outrageous examples. It serves as a reminder of the dedication and love mothers show, often in unseen ways.