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Monday, July 25, 2011

The Unbreakable Mommy Habits

The feelings, the urges to be a mother to SOMEONE, SOMETHING, even if your children aren’t around, are always there.  When you do it all day long it is hard to break the cycle and turn the mommyness off. 

Almost along the lines of the infamous saying “you might be a redneck,” I want to dedicate this post to listing examples of what you’ve done while out in public when you are WITHOUT your children that make you think “I’m definitely a mother”.  Here are mine:



1)      I religiously put a new toilet paper roll on the spool in public bathrooms if they are running low.  I’m not talking about the bathrooms that have stalls and automatic toilet paper, but the small quaint places that look like a bathroom in a home.  Not to mention, I wipe down the counter around the sink after I’m finished, even if the mess isn’t mine.  *this could be bordering on the line of just being a woman and not being a mom, but I just did this last week and thought to myself…ohhhh yeah…I’m a mom alright.*



2)      I’m all of a sudden driving in the carpool lane when I am without my children because when am I EVER without my children?



3)      I have found myself in a brief moment of panic, looking for my children in whatever store I’m in, scared to death that they are lost, only to realize I am in fact by myself on this trip. 



4)      I’ve caught myself talking to the empty space around me as I am leaving my home, a store, or the mall asking “does anyone have to go potty before we leave?” as strangers look at me wondering who the heck I am talking too.



5)      I have to muster up all the strength I can to not wipe the runny nose of some other mother’s child while out in public. 



6)      When I’m at a lovely restaurant with friends, or out on a date night with my husband, I have to fight the urge to eat standing up because it is rare for me not to get up and down, up and down, up and down from the table at home.   



7)      I’ve tested my coffee on my wrist to make sure it wasn’t too hot to drink after going through the drive thru.



8)      I’ve asked for extra napkins when ordering my meal at a restaurant that only has cloth napkins and not paper.  Must remember: cloth napkins = no kids. 



9)      I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time brushing the crumbs off tables in restaurants when my kids weren’t there. 



10)   I’ve cut up my husbands’ meat into bite size pieces for him while out on a date (who couldn’t use a little help in that area?  It was an act of love I tell you…an act of love).


Those little actions that happen simply out of habit, simply because I wasn’t able to “flip the switch” from mommy to Hopes…they catch me off guard, make me laugh, and embarrass the heck out of me.  Oh well, they haven’t put me in a straight jacket yet, so I must still be doing okay…..well, so far anyway. 


What mommy habits have you been unable to break?

18 comments:

Christine Siracusa said...

Oh my lord this is hilarious. I do so many of these, too!! The wiping around the sink in a public restroom, the panic of trying to remember where my kids are if they're not with me! So funny and true.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Christine,

Welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading this post! It's amazing what we do now that we are mom's without thinking about it isn't it?

Please come visit again.

Making It Work Mom said...

I always put on a new roll - can't help myself.

I always turn and say what? when someone says Mommy, Momma, or Mom even if I don't have kids with me!

Great list.

Kiddothings said...

You are so right about not being able to break the mommy habits. I had to laugh at 5 and 10!

I'm also here to say thank you for leaving me a comment on my guest post over at Bees With Honey. I truly appreciate it!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Making It Work Mom,

It's like its ingrained in our brains. Always have to put on a new roll, and sometimes that means doing some hunting in the bathrooms. They should keep them out in plain view.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

mom2kiddos,

Welcome! Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I'm so glad you enjoyed the list!

You are more than welcome for the comment on your guest post. I totally agree with you that those in car DVD players are WAY over used!

Come back soon!

Shell said...

I'm constantly talking to myself when my kids aren't around.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Shell,

Me too! I don't know if it's because it's too quiet and I need to hear my voice (since I always seem to be talking at them for something) or if I'm just not used to them not being around.

Minivan Mama said...

I found myself doing several mommy things this weekend while being kid-free! #4 especially! You and I must be on the same wave length with our posts this week!!!

McKenna said...

Great list. I am so rarely alone that I have noticed that I don't even know how to act in the grocery store if I'm not swatting little peoples hands away from things. I also always find myself listening to kid music or with a kids movie on when I am alone.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Minivan Mama,

Great minds think alike!!! Number 4 is very important, because if I don't check as soon as everyone gets buckled into the carseats, someone has to go potty! LOL!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Jessica,

Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I truly appreciate it.

I hear you about the grocery store. If I'm ever alone there I find myself wandering up and down the aisles for no reason at all. I also listen to the kids music. If it was what we had on the last time we were in the car, and the next time I get in is without the kids, it is a good 20 minutes or more before I realize that I can actually change the channel without protest from the back!

Hope to see you around here again soon!

Jessica said...

These are all awesome. Eating a meal without the kids is so rare that when I get the chance I'm not sure how I'm supposed to act.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Jessica,

Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, it means a lot!

Yes, a dinner sans kids is very rare. I'm completely out of practice and feel like a fish out of water.

Joni hardwick said...

I have stood in line bouncing a jug of milk like a baby!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Joni,

LOL!!! LOVE IT!! Yes the bounce and sway is so hard to get rid of. I find myself swaying whenever I stand still.

Faith's Lady said...

Totally true! I have a two year old, and every time she goes to her grandparents, I find myself doing so many of those listed things!!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Faith's Lady,

Thank you so very much for visiting and commenting!

There are some things that you just can't stop doing no matter if you are around your child or not.

Hope you visit again soon!