My Pen Name is Mom

Last night I went to a reading of a new book by author (and friend) Izzy Rose. She has written a memoir of her transition in becoming an instant family when she married her wonderful husband who happens to come with two children. Her book is called "The Package Deal. My (not so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom." Her witty true story about how she has made her family work inspired me. I am not a step parent, but my husband is. I am a step child, so I could totally relate to her words...but also you don't have to be a step parent to actually relate. Parents can learn a lot from reading this book. Izzy does not try to sugar coat parenting, as none of us should. Visit her site at http://www.stepmothersmilk.com/ .

I am starting this blog as way for us as parents to be able to actually say how we feel without feeling bad about our parenting. I actually do not like my kids sometimes. Does that make me a bad parent? I don't think so, but if I said that out loud, OMG!!! I am sure that I would receive all kinds of harsh words from people. Becuase the truth is that I love my children VERY much, but sometimes, when they are really testing me, I don't like them very much!

I remember years ago watching Jenny Jones (don't laugh) and the topic was unruly teens. The young girl that I will be referring to was a complete brat. Totally out of control. Her mom said that her daughter was acting like a bitch when Jenny asked her some question about something her daughter had done (it was years ago so I can't remember exactly what she had done) and I agreed with the mom. The audience went CRAZY! Yelling at the mom and saying that if she called her daughter a bitch then it was her fault that the girl was out of control....and suddenly the opinion changed and the "poor girl" scene was set. Now all this mom did was say that this teen, who was acting like a total bitch to her mom on the show, was in fact being bitchy. Why was the witch hunt on after that?

Why is it that we have to be so politically correct when our kids are bothering us? When we become "Mom" do we have to stop having feelings? Why can't we tell another adult that our kids are driving us crazy without being judged on our parenting? I mean really....I would like to meet the parents of the perfect children that NEVER scream, slam doors, say "I hate you!", make messes that they don't clean up themselves.....I could go on & on! Don't get me wrong...I love being a mom, I wouldn't trade that for the world. But I would like to be able to say that it is not easy without getting a weird look.

All I hear all day is mom...mom...mom...even my husband has started calling me mama. My name is not mom....that is just my pen name.