THAT Mom

Yesterday, a friend and I touched on the subject of That Mom. You know, the mom who pesters the pediatrician, tells the teacher that her kid's practically a genius, and is generally annoying and utterly clueless...

Yeah, nobody wants to be That Mom.

But sometimes I feel a bit like That Mom.

In recent weeks, I have put in several calls to the pediatrician, as well as to other healthcare providers, asking questions, challenging answers (ever so timidly, because... well, because I'm not at all a confrontational gal), and imploring them to help in any way they can as we strive to raise healthy, happy children. I've refrained - I think - from quoting internet articles, but yes... I have gone there. I have told doctors what "I've read."

And I intend to keep going there, because many of the things we encounter as parents are thoroughly discussed online, and sometimes by reputable sources. So I'm going to keep gathering information, asking questions, seeking answers, and laying it all before those involved in our children's medical care. As so many have said before, if we won't advocate for our children, who will?

For the sake of my children's health, I'll be That Mom.

I've also mentioned how smart and creative a couple of my kids are. Each time, as the words tumbled out of my mouth, I could imagine the thoughts forming in the minds of my listeners... "Sure he is. That's what every parent says..." I don't know what my listeners actually thought, but that's what I would have thought... Shoot, it's what I DID think, and I know my kids!

Once again, though, if we don't believe our children are the best, brightest, most promising individuals in the world, who will? Whatever their gifts, talents, abilities, or passions, part of our role as parents is to give them reason to believe in themselves, to equip them to venture out with confidence into a critical world, and to assure them that whether they soar to untold heights or fall on their faces, someone will still believe in their dreams.

For the sake of my children's dreams, I'll be That Mom.

There's another, far more positive angle to That Mom. In the midst of current challenges to our family's balance, I've found myself doing out of necessity things I used to do by nature. Earlier this week, I sent the boys outside to dig a hole in the yard in which to wage an epic army man battle. We've made several impromptu trips to the park. This morning, assuming I get my act together, we'll be making models of animal cells out of jell-o and various bits of candy. Tomorrow, we're taking a field trip to the state museum. Next week, God willing, we will take Grandma and my camera to the zoo to work on the photographic element of animal books for our biology studies.

The creativity required at this stage in our lives reminds me of the energy I had when it was just Geoff, me, and our oldest two. I was That Mom, the chick who had neat ideas and acted on them, who did cool stuff with her kids and reveled in everything they did. As the dear soul who took four children to church last night so his wife could stay home and glory in silence may have observed, it is a wearying task to be That Mom. But what my husband might not see yet is how satisfying it is to be That Mom, to go to sleep at the end of the day with the quiet satisfaction of having ridden the waves of tumult with a glimmer of grace, measure of agility, and a whopping dose of fun.

For the pleasure of loving my children, I'll be That Mom.