I remember vacations growing up. And I remember my Mom preparing for vacations. We all hid quietly in our rooms as long as we could to avoid her catching sight of us and giving us “the list.” You know – the list of things that she needed our help with so we could get out of town. And “the list” wasn’t exactly delivered in the most patient loving Mom manner. Fast-forward a generation and ask yourself: Are you the “Crazy Mom” before vacation, too?
I know you remember that, too. And all future Mom’s promise we will never do it. We will be SO cool, calm, and collected. We will just slide out of town with our perfect luggage, in our perfectly packed car, with our perfect children. And it will all just happen perfectly …
And then there is a little thing called reality.
“Crazy Mom” Pre-Vacation Reality:
1. Mom prepares in advance. I like to be ready so I start a few days before the trip. Actually, it may be a week. In order to lessen the chance of “losing it” on my family, I work feverishly at organization and preparation.
2. Eliza, my one-year-old, follows my around and literally unpacks EVERYTHING I pack. If she is not actively unpacking my bags (and that girl is wildly fast – I don’t know how she does it), she is undoing multiple drawers, sticking q-tips in her ears, or eating whatever she finds on the ground. She loves this free time when Mom is too busy to actually notice. This is “Eliza party time.”
3. My teens COMPLETELY ignore me. They are old enough to have perfected hiding and avoiding. It’s like I have suddenly become invisible. I mean, they are getting a vacation, right? Wouldn’t you just expect sweetness and kind consideration for the amount of money and energy going into their fabulous time away? I get NOTHING. They may shower before we leave, they may not. They may actually pack anything worth wearing, they may not. I might realize 3 days into the vacation that not only did they not bring a toothbrush but they have completely failed to mention this to me. Fabulous.
4. My dog – he just looks at me in disdain as he knows he is going to be boarded. And he follows Eliza, actively stealing any food she has procured in my distracted state.
5. And last but certainly not least is my husband, Brian. Oh, Brian. Brian takes the cake. Brian not only decides last minute that it is time to pack, as if he has no other responsibility in the world, but he will actually UNDO what I have painstakingly packed stating that he “can organize it better.” Oh, yes, he did go there.
And, the “Crazy Mom” Breaks Out …
And when my head starts to spin, I take a moment to myself to remember – my lovely family is going on a vacation! I get to spend the next 7 days with the people I love. What could be better than this?
And that’s when I break out “the list” like generations before me. Everyone gets an item and it is NOT delivered in the most loving Mom-tone. Except the dog, he just isn’t that helpful. Though, now that I think about it, he could be more useful than some family members.
And that, my friends, is when I win my “Mom is crazy card.” Who’s with me?
For more Blog Posts on The Joys of Motherhood:
Mom Burnout: https://doctormome.com/how-to-prevent-burnout-for-moms/
Lessons from a Doctor Mom: https://doctormome.com/5-biggest-lessons-i-have-learned-from-being-a-doctor-mom/