Recently, while fastening my seatbelt in the supermarket parking lot, I observed a family effortlessly sliding into their car parked right in front of me. They had only a couple of bags, and as the mother pressed the button to unlock the doors, she smoothly climbed into the driver’s seat while her two pre-teens hopped in with her. With the ignition on, she backed out of the space in mere seconds, and in no time, she was off to her next stop.
I paused, captivated by her ease. I found myself staring at the empty parking spot long after she had left. “She just got in the car,” I thought, incredulous. “No fuss, no hassle,” I muttered under my breath.
As a mother of four children under six, my experience getting into the car resembles a chaotic circus performance. For the past six years, it has been a meticulously orchestrated spectacle. Meanwhile, this woman seemed to flaunt her unbothered lifestyle as if to say, “Look how easy this is!” (Not that she was, but you know how it feels.)
She didn’t have to wrangle a single screaming toddler into their seat. There were no car seats to buckle or mischievous little ones unbuckling themselves while she struggled with the others. No tears, no frantic prayers, no threats—oh wait, did I mention the crying? Sometimes I cry twice!
She didn’t have to navigate through the parking lot to return the overflowing shopping cart, nor did she have to deal with crushed groceries or the sun visor that looked like it had been through a wild animal encounter.
As I continued to gaze at her abandoned space (seriously, I was transfixed), I imagined her home life was equally seamless. She likely told her kids, “We’re heading to the store,” and they magically appeared, buckled in and ready to go, with shoes on and without any last-minute diaper changes.
Perhaps she casually decided, “I think I’ll take a drive,” and then proceeded to hop into her car without packing bottles, checking for extra underwear, or hunting down wipes and snacks. There were no kids crawling under the car or climbing into the trash, no bags of goodies to load and toys or trash to unload before she could even sit down. And she certainly didn’t have to check her pockets for keys while her hair clung to her sweaty face after a long, stressful day.
She probably hasn’t experienced the exasperation of declaring, “Forget it!” and unloading the car while still in the garage because the effort to leave wasn’t worth it. It’s been a while since she pulled up somewhere only to find one or more kids asleep in the car, driving past her intended stop to head back home.
This line of thought led me to consider the other daily nightmares she likely avoids during her errands—nightmares I face regularly, such as:
- Navigating a shopping cart full of tiny thieves who grab marshmallows, Tic-Tacs, and cans of blueberry pie filling, stuffing them into the front of the cart.
- Sweating profusely in a public restroom stall, holding one child above the seat while trying to control three others engaged in a game of toilet-water wars.
- Ignoring the judgmental stares from strangers as my child throws a full-blown tantrum over our detour past the toy aisle.
- Oh, and taking four boys to the restroom? That’s a whole other level of chaos.
I assume this calm mother has faced similar challenges and emerged victorious. I hold on to the hope that one day I will experience that carefree drive too. Yet, it felt slightly like she was teasing me, as if her choice to have a manageable number of children spaced out reasonably made her superior to my chaotic crew. I can only wish for the day when my boys are fighting over who can shower me with gifts, and I will look back on these hectic moments with a smile.
Because I absolutely adore my kids, but getting them into the car is a nightmare rivaled only by the sheer terror of bath time.
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Summary:
Navigating errands with small children can be a daunting task filled with chaos and challenges. In contrast, one mother’s effortless car ride serves as a reminder of the struggles many parents face daily. From tantrums in the store to the logistics of getting them buckled in, parenting often feels like a circus act. However, hope remains that one day, the trials of motherhood will lead to moments of joy and reflection.