Saw the cutest writing prompt on this site, The Search for a Scary Mommy and thought I'd take the challenge. I need a new video camera.
I have scared my children on many occasions.
I think I scared my daughter the first time I yelled at her. I was feeling overhwhelmed at being an instant mommy to a 13 year old who didn't speak English. I am not proud of that, or of any other time I have yelled at her, but I have apologized and tried to make up for it as much as possible. [Therapy helped!] I have only yelled a few times, BTW.
I asked my son not long ago what was the weirdest, most incredibly strange thing he remembers encountering when he first was adopted and came to America in 2007. Without hesitation, he said "You!" That should win me a prize right there, huh?!
As my kids say all the time "You are SO weird!" Weird = scary
I am weird/scary, and proud to be so. I don't mind certain things that other parents seem to care about a lot [like the kids doing lots of afterschool activities, eating a low fat diet, and being fashionable]. OTOH, I care deeply about some things other parents don't - like my kids say "Yes M'am" and "No, Sir." I care that they are taught there are certain chores they must do around the house, because in a family everybody helps. I care that they are respectful of everyone in our family, but particularly of their grandmother. [We are still working on that.] I care that we pray every day, as a family, before meals, and at other times.
I don't care about giving them a cell phone and a computer and letting them loose to do what they want with those. Neither of them has a cell phone and computer time is limited. I don't care that they both whine about wanting a Wii. (I think actually getting out and physically doing things for REAL is more important and fulfilling that jumping around in front of the TV.)
I scare them all the time by singing as I cook, burping too loudly and then laughing, and crying during the movies.
Shortly after Michael came home I ordered the movie The Shining, from Netflix, and I scared him and Alesia with that movie. It never occurred to me it would scare the kids. I always thought it was just silly. Oops.
I scared them last summer when I got laid off from my job, although that wasn't my fault.
I scared them both the other day just by having a hot flash. I think they thought I was going to melt! [Ah, the unique joys of menopausal motherhood!]
Sometimes when I think about them not being adopted, I cry. They are not used to someone whose emotions are so close to the surface, and it's a bit scary. [Michael is better at comforting me than Alesia, strangely enough, although she is very caring.]
I scare myself sometimes, when I think how blessed I am to have them in my life, and how close I came to not having them - I remember flipping a coin to decide if I should go to Russia with the choir in 2003.
I think all good mommies are scary.
