Moms Need To Stand Together

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I was feeding Baby Girl at the park this weekend when a little boy (about 5, I would guess) walked by with his mom.

"What's she doing under that blanket, Mom?" he asked.

"She's feeding her baby. Let's give her privacy, okay?"

"Why is she feeding her baby like that?"

"Because she's a good mommy," the mom replied. I smiled at her, grateful that she wasn't going to give me crap for breastfeeding in public.

"Did you feed me like that?" the little boy asked.

"No, honey, I gave you a bottle," the mom said. There was a little bit of sadness as she said it, and she looked away, as if she was afraid I would judge her.

"Why didn't you feed me like that?" the little boy asked, pointing to me. (God, kids are tenacious, aren't they?)

"Well," the mom began, but she was clearly at a loss for what to say. After all, she had just said that I was a good mommy for breastfeeding. The implication, that was not lost on her son, was that she was not.

"Hey, Buddy," I called over to the boy. I didn't care that they would know I was eavesdropping. "Your mommy feed you with a bottle because she is a good mommy too."

"Okay," the boy said and his mom and I shared a smile, both relieved to have our "good mommy-hoods" reaffirmed.

I was just glad I could return the favor to her.

Great. Now I can't even watch the news.

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"Mommy, what is a wiener?" Girlie asked without looking up from her coloring. Boyo was asleep and I was multi-tasking - checking email, folding laundry, and watching CNN which was covering Representative Anthony Weiner's sex scandal.

"Uh, it's a penis," I asked.

Before I could ask where she heard the word (since it's one we don't use in our household), she pointed to the TV.

"So that guy is a penis?"

I have no words.

Because I Said So!

~
I always swore that as a mommy and a teacher, I would never say "Because I said so" when my children asked me a question. I envisioned myself patiently responding to every question they asked in a logical and calm manner.

HA!

My daughter's new favorite word is "Why?" And answering her question only leads to another question.

I do try to keep from saying "Because I said so," but after about 22 hours of incessant why questions, I finally cave and snap it out. However, I will try all sorts of things first. I try answering her questions using big words, so that she won't have a clue as to what I'm saying and will be quiet. I try saying "Why not?" I try asking her what she thinks. I have even pulled out "Because God wants it that way." But she's persistent. And eventually "Because I said so," slips out of my mouth.

Today as we were driving along and she started in:

"Momma, why are all the cars stopped?"

"Because there is construction."

"Why?"

"To make the road wider."

"Why?"

"So more cars can fit on the road and go faster."

"Why?"

"Because the people who laid out the roads aren't very smart, and they didn't think about what to do if the population of the city was over 10."

"Oh...why aren't they smart?"

"Because God made them that way."

And then... nothing. I was breathing a sign of relief that the question and answer portion of our car trip seemed to be over when I heard Boyo pipe up with a: "Why?"