I tell my daughter every single day that she is loved.
And special.
And an absolute blessing in my life.
Every. Single. Day.
I know that I say this regularly because there are often days when I will say, “Emma?” and her immediate response is, “yes, I know, you love me!” Surely that means she knows that I love her and am glad to have children, right?
And yet…
Both of my children recently spent the night at a friend’s house while my husband and I enjoyed a night of hotel time. This friend, like me, currently has two children. This information is relevant to the story, I swear.
ANYway, it has since been revealed to me that, during the course of that evening, the following conversation occurred between my 6 year-old, Emma, and my friend’s family.
Friend’s Daughter: we’re having another baby!
Friend: no, actually, we’re not. I am not pregnant.
Emma: yeah, you probably don’t want to have three kids.
Friend: …. what?
Emma: having three kids is really hard and a lot to take care of.
Friend: (silently laughing at what my daughter has obviously overheard me say about having more children) yeah, well I suppose…
Emma: actually, even just having two kids is a lot of work.
Friend: (silently judging me for clearly being the type of woman who complains about how hard parenting is in front of her kids) well, that’s not -
Emma: You know, I think even just one kid is a lot of work and really hard. Yeah, so, it’s probably just best to not have any kids at all.
Friend: (making a note to give me the number of a good psychologist. and never let her kids play at my house again.)
So apparently the message my daughter has gotten from me is that having kids sucks.
Awesome.
I am so #winning at motherhood.
About Britt Reints
OMG…. that is too funny!!!! I can imagine the stuff my kids say about me (they are 14 and almost 16)
Oh man, and at that age you can’t even chalk it up to them not understanding.
Twitter Name: missbritt
Haha!
My daughter must have been about that age when we saw a friend with her new baby. My daughter’s response was, “Yeah, babies are loud and annoying.” I’d been trying to convince her that she does not want a sibling, but I guess that worked a little too well.
Mercifully, time has passed, and she thinks that babies are cute again. ;)
Twitter Name: jessadg
Yeah, I think that’s what happened here, too!
Twitter Name: missbritt
I thought you were going to tell some really *horrific* tales. Like my son told his friend’s mother, “My mom has a mustache, but she uses this sticky stuff to pull it off.” Or this jewel: “My mom and dad sleep without any pajamas on, but that’s okay, because they’re in love.”
Twitter Name: Handflapper
Oh, this isn’t the MOST horrific thing she’s said.
Just the most recent.
Twitter Name: missbritt
We constantly have to remind my 5 year old son to not hit babies. He has it in for toddlers…
Twitter Name: outdoordogs
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
Oh my God, I’m sorry, but this cracked me up.
Twitter Name: missbritt
Oh my God! This made me laugh so hard. ♥ it! I shudder to think what my Bug is going to say when she starts staying the night with friends…I’m screwed.
Oh man. That’s totally something my kid would say. Whenever I hear a little gem like that, I just put a dollar inthe terapy jar and move on.
Twitter Name: girlry
I wouldn’t worry about it. Having kids IS a lot of work, even one kid, doesn’t mean we don’t love them. She probably had some other point she wanted to make.
That may not be the consoling thought it sounded in my own head.
Twitter Name: penbleth
The good news is that she probably won’t be misguided by that 16 and Pregnant show on MTV and want to have a baby so she can have a really cool accessory or someone to love her.
You’re doing an awesome job as a parent, this is tough message to convey and you’ve obviously hammered it in…good job! :)
Twitter Name: themommytherapy
“My mom said I’m brain damaged.”
I still haven’t heard one that tops that. I win!
Twitter Name: msmegan
A friend’s child came over and asked me what had happened to my bruised finger. When I told him I slammed the sliding door on it so it got all black and blue he said “oh and also you are getting really old.”
He’s not invited over anymore. Lil’ shit.
Hilarious. My kid says crazy things usually when she’s out solo with my husband. For example: a few weeks ago while in line at the bagel store she shouted, “Daddy! Don’t touch my body!!!” He was MORTIFIED as everyone eyed him and held their kids closer. We’re prob on some neighborhood watch list, now.
Twitter Name: nystoopmama