10 Things I Wish My Kids Would Know

Evenings in my house feels like a carnival. There are kids running around, toys are thrown everywhere, the aroma of some kind of stir fry radiating from the kitchen, kids crying, kids screaming, the phone ringing, music playing... The atmosphere is chaotic, frenetic, whimsical. But there is an important lesson that can be learned here: don't cry over spilled milk. There really is no time for that. 5PM-9PM reminds me of the trading floor on Wall Street. There is no time to stop and think, just do. Then 9PM hits and the kids are in bed and peace is restored in the household. That's when I walk around the house and appraise the damage. At that point, my house resembles the crime scene of a robbery. If there is a CSI:Taiwan, it should definitely be filmed in my house.

I'm not complaining because being a mom is still incredibly fulfilling. More fulfilling than any job I've ever had. (And I've had a lot of jobs.) But during those few rare moments of idleness, I can't help but wonder if my kids can distinguish between the sensible person that I am and the screaming, hair pulling, crazy women they encounter every evening. while they're still so young, there is no way to get them to understand the havoc they put me through everyday, but hopefully in time they will see my plight and realize the following:

1. Mommy needs to sleep and eat just like you do. So, do not wake me up at 3AM to play.
2. Mommy is dying to wear a nice dress but is insanely paranoid that you'll spill juice on it or wipe your chocolate covered hands with it.
3. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy likes to go out and play just like you do.
4. Daddy doesn't make money solely to buy you toys, he also works hard to buy Mommy pretty things.
5. Sometimes Mommy does know best. Just listen and do what I say. Meaning: when I say jump, you say how high. 
6. Mommy was young once. I had a life once that didn't include wiping up poop on the floor and cleaning up food splatters off of the walls.   
7. When Mommy tells you "no" on something, it's not because I'm sadistically cruel and wants to see you suffer, it just means that I have weighed all the pro's and con's and have decided on what's best for you.  Until you're responsible enough to make certain decisions, this is what you'll have to live with.  
8. Eat the food that Mommy spends hours slaving away in the kitchen to make, then put on a big fat smile on your face and tell me it's delicious when you're done with it. 
9. You are lucky to have a Mommy like me, who bakes brownies for you after school, strokes your back when you've had a nightmare, pick you up when you fall, wipe away the tears when you cry, stay up for half the night so you can have fresh homemade bread in the morning.(Which is what I'm doing at this moment.)
10. Last but not least, Mommy loves you much much more than you could ever imagine possible.     

 What are some things you would want your kids to know?