I’ve been a mom for almost 9 years. Over the years I’ve silently gleaned from older and wiser moms and have adopted their silent code of conduct. The moms in the know abide by the same rules and they live peacefully among each other. But these rules have never been spoken out loud. You either know them or you don’t…
Today I’m going to let you in on some unspoken Mom rules, ready?
1. Thou shall not leave your house with the Stomach Bug.
I’m serious. If you, your child, your husband, or yourself has the stomach bug or has been contaminated with the bug you may not leave your house. It’s true. You can’t come to a party and announce that you are happy to be there because the rest of your family is at home with the stomach bug. And if you do decide to break this rule do not describe how terrible it is… (We could apply the same rule to lice, strep, the flu…)
2. Thou shall not discipline another mother’s child.
The only exception is if they are about to kill their self…
If my kid is annoying, acting disrespectful, or misbehaving it is my job to correct their behavior, not yours. There is a loophole to this rule, if a group of kids is acting crazy and your child is in the mix, you may correct the entire group.
3. Thou shall not ask another mother for her regular babysitter’s information.
I love my friends. I encourage them to take a break and have some alone time but I am not sharing my regular babysitter’s information. What if they love her as much as I do? What if that mom is better at scheduling things in advance than I am? But I do have a backup list and I will share a name or two with a close friend.
4. Thou shall not openly hate something that I declared my love for.
No two mothers will mother the same way. I get a little peeved when I declare my love for something (examples: pediatrician, schools, foods, snacks, bedtime, laundry detergent, restaurant, gym) and then another mom will try what I love and tell me how much they hate it. There’s no need for that.
5. Thou shall extend grace.
We are all fighting the same battle. We are all raising these tiny people to be self-sufficient, law-abiding members of society. There is no need to hold a grudge over something a mama said while tired (or hungry…). I know that whatever crazy thing that comes out of my mouth that my mama friends are still going to love me.
What are your unspoken mom rules?
