January 7, 2009

My Sincerest Apologies

Current weather in Philadelphia: 32 degrees and snowing


Before I had children, I was very critical of women who walked around the mall with a trail of hobos following along behind them.

"How hard is it to dress your kids in matching/unstained/seasonally appropriate clothing?" I asked myself.

Now that I know the answer to that question, I feel terrible for judging.

Moms of America: I'm sorry.

I know from experience that you aren't child neglecters, but like me, have simply lost the will to live.

36 comments

Deb said...

I haven't commented before, but follow you daily! I live in Utah, and my 7 year old came down this morning in his BYU shorts, all ready for school. I informed him that he needed to go change into some pants, and threw up his hands and said, "Dad said it was going to be warm today". Apparently the three feet of snow on the front lawn don't matter - if dad said it is going to be warm (meaning warmer than the 25 degrees of yesterday) shorts are fair game!!

Anonymous said...

Oh sure I've been there!
My daughter insists on wearing a Batman mask to the supermarket, teamed up with her bright red wellies and a dress.

All of which is bad, but not as bad as that little ensemble!

Laura - Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy? said...

What about the mothers of the UK!?

My children are lucky if they leave the home in something which doesn't have a hole or a random orange stain down the front of it.

It doesn't help that the 2 year old thinks it is acceptable to change his outfit 4 times a day.

Maybe I should make him do the laundry one day - then he'd understand

Ilana said...

I felt the same way about customer service people: like, how hard is it to do your job and know the answer to at least ONE of my questions?

Then I became one. And then I understood. Customer service people are not deliberately obtuse, they have simply lost the will to live.

Sorry, customer service people of America.

Lisa Noel said...

LOL! I do try harder to make sure my kids look ok before leaving the house than I do for myself. This outfit looks like something you might catch me in if you dropped by the house unannounced! :)
But there are also days we get somewhere and I finally LOOK at my kids, REALLY look at them and think "Oh geez, people will think you're an unloved orphan!"

Annette Lyon said...

What's a real pain the butt is having three darling readheads. I KNOW that when we go it, it's like having a spotlight on us. There's no WAY people won't notice. We stop traffic, get halted in the aisles so people can gush--and I'm wincing at how one daughter still has a rat's nest in her hair and another is wearing purple stripes with orange pants.

Liz said...

That's hysterical.. my husband just shakes his head when he goes out in public with us, b/c he just can't believe that I could let my 4 year old son out of the house without taming his "bed head". (whom if you even mention 'fixing his hair' will run from you screaming as if you just threatened to remove one of his limbs!)
I should have taken pics of what the kids looked like the ONE day he had to be in charge of them and actually leave the house!

Karen said...

I usually try to blame it on dad and go on about my own business. Also, it helps that our grocery store is often frequented by what one can only refer to as white trash. So my shoeless dirty mismatched kids blend right in.

Janee said...

My kids have become so attached to their sweat pants that they have started wearing them a day, a night and another day.

Melisa said...

You totally crack me up. And I second this post in it's entirity. And why is it snowing in Philly?! Brad told me it didn't snow that much! Maybe he meant, not as much as MI...

Janille said...

I gave up the will to do hair some time ago. They have to ask me to do it now. My husband does notice usually that the kids look like Frankenstein's offspring and he will fix hair or change clothes . . . I am tired of the arguing and moaning. And yes, we have gone and are still going through the devotion to sweat pants (even with holes in the butt and knees-tres chic!) - because jeans are invisible and can never be found in the drawers. It's amazing.

Diane said...

I use to make sure my boys looked cute when we left the house, now I usually let them wear whatever and I tell my preschooler's teachers that he worked all night on his hairdo.

Lisa said...

I totally get this. I feel like my kids (especially my older girls) are always dressing like white trash. I am so over it now and have the "Whatever" attitude.

Makayla Steiner said...

This made me laugh. On Christmas(after opening gifts) my youngest brother (who is a major sports nut) came downstairs with his Dallas Cowboys baseball hat, his Jazz jersey, his BYU shorts and some blue Nike socks. His mom gave him a funny look and he said, "What? It's all blue!"

Ice Cream said...

Amen, sister, AMEN!!!

I wish I wasn't so judgemental because then I wouldn't have to eat so much crow. I used to really sneer at women who let their kids go out of the house without combing their hair. But when I have to choose daily whether to kill my daughter or let her go out looking homeless... Well, lets just say I try not to kill her at least 2 times a week.

MHM said...

my mom would let my sister and me dress ourselves and then drop us off at our grandparents' house. Our grandmother (my Dad's mother) would take one look at us and assume our parents had no money, and she'd go out and get us some "proper clothes."

Unknown said...

Oh yes Jana, living the life gives us better insight!
Then when you have teens, well it probably goes together, but you just have to wonder why fashion for teens is so bizzare.

Skubaliscious said...

I used to wonder how hard it was to keep a little girls hair brushed...I mean sheesh it only takes a second...now I know that even if you brush the hair twelve times it will still look seriously unkept within seconds...

Sant Family said...

Seriously.the.truth.

My boys haven't worn shirts in our home in years. When I make them wear a coat (we live in the NORTHwest) they act like I am pulling out their fingernails.

Of course, then there's the fact that my 1st grader went to preschool EVERY day dressed as a Jedi - complete with robe. "call me a young padawan".

My oldest son wore shorts and cowboys boots. Just thinking about makes me baby barf.

Yes, yes. It is the will to live that is the first to go.

Mama Lou said...

We have that outfit.

And this morning on the way to school, I noticed the hole in the Boy's sweatpants. Should I be embarrassed? Probably. Am I? No.

I knew for certain that I had given up. I got him to wear a coat two days in a row, that is achievement enough.

Sunderlages said...

Oh, I love that. Lost the will to live. We fight our battles. This one is not worth it.

April said...

LOL! so true... my kids look appropriate about 1/4th the time. and i'm SO ok with it.

Anonymous said...

Yeah- my 7 year old favors a look we like to call "Walker Texas Ranger Homeschool Edition."

jean said...

My son is 12 and is still wearing shorts. We live in NJ so you know what kind of weather we are having. I decided years ago to pick my battles carefully. Clothing just isn't high on my list.

Twinlinebackers said...

My kids wore shorts, tshirts and bare feet today. It was snowing. I feel better though because they wear winter coats, hats and boots in August. On average I am sure they wear the right clothes the right number of days. Maybe we should move down under.

Beth said...

This reminds me of the time when my oldest son was in preschool. He wanted to wear his green and purple plaid pants (thanks, mom) with an orange shirt. I let him wear it with a sign on his back that said, "I picked out my own clothes. My mother does not approve."

What Not to Wear should do a child version of their show.

Michal said...

i just solve that problem by not taking my kids out in public. but when i am absolutely forced to enter the public eye with my children, you can count on at least one of them having crazy hair. and if i haven't thought to check on the 8 year old, there is a distinct possibility that he got into the car WITHOUT SHOES ON! ugh.

Unknown said...

Sometimes my kids even sport boogers.
I have been known to pretend that I don't know them. I give them that "poor you, your Mommy must not love you" look. Somehow, they always find their way back to my van.

Audrey Hammer said...

My 3-year-old daughter will ONLY wear dresses. Like, summer dresses. We've been buried in snow here since Thanksgiving. Then she cries all the time about being cold. She won't even put shoes on to go outside.

And my girls' hair only gets combed for church and school. Since the 3-year-old is not in school yet ...
The static is so bad here combing often makes it worth.

Shelli said...

I have been reading your blog for a few months now. At first when I started laughing hysterically my husband would ask me what I was doing online that was so funny. Now he just knows that I am laughing at "the Meanest Mom." One day last week when I got home from shopping I noticed that your blog was open on the computer. I asked him why and he told me HE needed a laugh so he went to your blog!!!

I did want you to know that when I read this post I didn't even notice the outfit! That is normal dress around this house!

Jessica Brown said...

Amen, amen, and AMEN!

Anonymous said...

Is that Tim?

SabrinaT said...

Your blog is GREAT! Yes, that is it, I have lost my will.

Kristina said...

The way I see it, if I can't look nice anymore why should my 20 month old daughter get to--let the hair be free.

Jana said...

Thanks so much for all of your comments! You guys are super funny; I love reading about your own experiences. Keep reporting!

Crystal said...

LOL, My daughter decided she was going to wear some pink sweats with blue stripes on the side with a pink and purple horizontal striped tshirt yesterday.. luckily this once I convinced her to wear something else lol.