If, when you were pregnant or a new mom, you swore you would raise your children just like your mom raised you, then maybe this post isn’t for you.  Or maybe you can relate eventually.

My mom reveled in trying to achieve, “World’s Meanest Mom” status.  And of course, with that, it is supposed to mean you were parenting properly.  My mom was the one that would call the parents of the house I was going to visit.  How embarrassing!  My mom insisted on using her children as slave labor.  We had to do dishes, clean bathrooms and put our clothes away.  The chores seemed never ending.

And of course, as children, we were treated as second class citizens.  We received long lectures before going to have a treat at a restaurant on how to behave.  We were given scolding looks if we were too rambunctious in church.

I swore, as a child, that I would never be like my mother when I grew up.  I had plans of going on Oprah (back when she did THOSE kinds of shows) to talk about what an abused child I was.  In fact, I even threatened to call my grandmother, head of the child abuse prevention agency of New York State, to report on my mom for child abuse.

My mom forced fruit on us and limited soda.  She focused on a balanced plate and made us eat our vegetables.  At times she lost her temper.

Then I Became a Mom

As I entered motherhood, I didn’t put a lot of thought in to how I would parent and whether it would be different than my parents.  But every so often when I hit what I considered to be a parenting win, a little thought would creep in to my head:

I bet my mother didn’t do that with me when I was a kid

I would then take a moment to consider it, and start to realize…….maybe she did.  Maybe she did play with us more than I remembered.  Even more than I have with my kids.  Maybe she did more then lecture us about our behavior at a restaurant – maybe she even engaged with us at the restaurant, colored with us and had a fun time.

Maybe, just maybe, my mother did a pretty terrific job.

More than likely, my children will soon be threatening to go on Jerry Springer, to talk about what a mean mother I am.  *Sigh* I guess I did turn in to my mother.