Before becoming mothers, many women hold steadfast beliefs about how they will navigate the world of parenting. They witness other moms dealing with tantrums in public or hear tales of the supermom who manages to give birth in a kiddie pool while balancing homeschooling and crafting. They vow never to find themselves in such scenarios.
Fast forward a couple of years, perhaps with a partner and a few fertility treatments behind you, and suddenly you’re ordering a home birth kit while your toddler has a meltdown in the midwife’s office. Motherhood has a way of transforming you in ways you never expected. Here are 15 defining moments that every mom will inevitably face:
- You’ll find yourself pushing one of those cumbersome car-shaped shopping carts through the grocery store, kids spilling out of the windows. Despite your best efforts, you’ll be frustrated when all the carts are snatched up before you arrive.
- You’ll skip a meeting or a coffee date with a relative, using your child as an excuse. It doesn’t matter that you used to roll your eyes at colleagues who did the same; it’s your turn to wield this handy excuse!
- You may venture out—perhaps even to a job interview—with stickers stuck to your backside, blissfully unaware until you change at home.
- You’ll be forced to catch your child’s vomit in your bare hands in a public setting ill-equipped for such emergencies. Whether it’s on an airplane, during holy communion, or even at a swimming pool, there’s nothing more mortifying than ruining a day for countless kids. Trust me on this.
- You’ll do everything in your power to prevent a car nap. But if you fail, and your toddler dozes off, you’ll sit in the car with him, reading, rather than risking a transfer to the bed.
- You’ll injure yourself trying to prove to your child that you can still do the things they love—like pogo sticking or attempting to scale the jungle gym—only to discover your body is no longer cooperating.
- There will be that one mom who gets under your skin. She’ll show up everywhere—at your child’s soccer game or the local salon—and share unsolicited parenting advice that drives you to the brink.
- You will inevitably start sounding just like your mother, and perhaps your father, when you start in on the classic “turn off the lights” spiel. Surprisingly, you’ll come to terms with it.
- You will share pictures of your kids with complete strangers without a second thought.
- You’ll find yourself in an unspoken competition over whose child is more advanced. You never thought you’d be that person, but here you are, defending your toddler’s early walking against another mom’s claims.
- You might start referring to yourself in the third person as “Mommy,” using phrases like, “Mommy said it’s bedtime.” You’ll forget your own name, which seems to have vanished in the chaos of motherhood.
- On Mother’s Day, you’ll wrestle with guilt for wanting a moment alone, rather than a poorly made breakfast in bed. All you really want is to sleep past sunrise.
- You’ll feel ancient and uncool the first time you embarrass your middle schooler by doing something he once found awesome.
- Cleaning out the toy box will lead to an emotional moment when you find your child’s beloved lovey, tattered and forgotten. You might just shed a tear as you clutch it close.
- You will eventually tell a new mom to “cherish every moment; it goes by so fast,” even though you hated hearing those words when you were in the thick of sleepless nights and constant crying.
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Summary
Motherhood is filled with unexpected experiences and milestones that change your life in ways you never imagined. From the humorous to the heartwarming, these 15 moments define the journey of being a mom, transforming your outlook and priorities while often leading to some self-reflection.