Sometimes a drink helps me become a mom who is a little more playful, a little less stressed.
I am the best mom ever after I’ve had a drink.
Notice I said… A DRINK. Well, maybe a drink or two, depending on the poison. Not a plastered mom — just a happy mom.
Sometimes a drink helps me become a mom who is a little more playful, a little less stressed. I am not as concerned about the trail of crumbs and sticky fingerprints left as my children escape from the kitchen table without washing their hands — because I am too tired and worn out (and tipsy?) to care to remind them for the 1,000th time that we “typically” wash our hands after we eat.
And it is so much more fun to chase the little munchkins around the house after a martini. Well, I mean, I am certainly not going to be getting to anything productive after a glass of wine, so I know I can relax. I can run around with the little buggers. Throw them on the coach while they squeal with delight (watching for correct posture and neck injuries, of course). We chase each other around the house, peeling out in our socks. Tag. You’re it.
Just one drink turns me from curmudgeon mom to magic mom. Happy and joyous. To do list? Gone. Chores? Gone. One more thing I have to do before I go to bed? Gone. Rushing to get the babes to bed so I can catch up on sleep? Gone.
Look, I could certainly tie one on with the best of them. I did have a youth before having kids. But now, I’ve become so serious.
I’ve become so rule oriented — tied to a schedule that is just as oppressive for me as it is for them.
The drink — well, it smooths the edges. Makes me forget about all of the “rules.” Deadlines and bedtimes. Don’t let the kids eat too much sugar. Don’t rile the kids up before bed. Blah Blah Blah.
Maybe once and a while, we all need a little break. An excuse to cut loose and run around the house like wild people. An excuse to laugh. A lot.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that I’m a miserable person when I’m not “under the influence.” In fact, I think I have a lot of spontaneous fun with my children. Hmmm… maybe I should ask them. My point is that a glass of wine adds a little extra sparkle. Some fairy pixie dust, perhaps?
Maybe it helps that I can write this anonymously. That anyone can judge these words (read: bad mom), but I won’t really care, because you don’t really know me. You don’t know who I am.
But I know you. There is a whole crowd of moms out there who are just like me.
The wine + mom club. We push hard all day long, but when night falls, we can finally settle down in the evening with a glass. We can finally relax. Kick off our heels (or sneakers). Be a little silly. Let loose.
And our kids need it. They need to see our playful side. They get an opportunity to see that mom can be fun too, instead of serious and rushing and goal-driven all the time.
So, a toast? To the drinking moms club. May there always be a bottle of wine stashed for the particularly rough day. May the experience teach us a little more about capturing life’s magical moments, with or without the potion.
