Complaining Mothers

Taking on the role of mother is a full time job with ridiculous amounts of overtime. Hell, we never get to clock out. This goes for the woman who stays home as well as the woman who also juggles a job or career outside the home. It's full of crazy ups and downs. Days of extreme stress and disappointment. It exhausts you and energizes you. It's also more frustrating then any job I have held outside the home. So frustrating and stressful in fact that I often find the need to vent about the little beasts I am preparing for the world.

There's the all night wake ups, the extra early rising, the excessive bodily fluids, over the top screaming fits, random crying, head bonking, finger smashing and couch falling. There are days that the crying never seems to end and you can do nothing to make the kids happy. Days of loud music to drown it all out because you just don't know how much more crying you can take. Chores get neglected and you can't even remember when the last time was you ran the dishes, did laundry or cleaned your hair. This is just a small bit of what I deal with in my home with 3 healthy kids. Imagine the extra challenges of those dealing with special needs like Autism or physical disabilities.

So as a public service announcement I would like to say that as a mother I have a RIGHT to complain and vent my frustrations about raising my kids, my job as a mother. Just as any person holding a job has the right to vent about their frustrating day.  We don't need to hear:

Well you chose to have them

You choose to stay home with them.

Maybe you should have thought about that before having more.

You think it's hard now, wait till the next one comes.

No one said having kids was easy.

No one forced you to have them.



I could go on with the list of rude things uttered to women who just need to vent about raising their kids.  All things we wouldn't dare say to someone complaining about their bad day at work. I wouldn't tell someone,"well no one forced you to get a job, so what are you complaining for?"

A job is a job. Even if you aren't getting paid.  It's a role we take on voluntarily by applying, interviewing and accepting. No one is holding death threats to any of us and forcing us into a position  we don't want.

At this moment I am blogging on my iPad with a 1 year strapped on that is screaming, biting and pinching me. I hate it. Every single nite I deal with her overtired screaming fit because she won't sleep. It grates my nerves. I have no help until often after 6 to deal with it. I don't think I am required to grin and smile like I just LOVE being bit and scratched, but it's safer than letting her fall into walls and chairs.

So when an over tired mom friend calls or texts you to say she is going to go apeshit because her bratty as kids are making her batty, think about what you are going to say. Just because she doesn't take a salary doesn't mean she can't vent.