The secret wish list of a Mom

Disclaimer: This post is by a Mother, for other Mothers. While everyone is welcome to read it, you may do so under advisement that it does contain some sensitive (read secret) material.

Okay, what do we do on our birthday? Among other things, we cut a cake, blow out candles and make wishes, right? So then if on Mother’s Day, if we mothers were to cut a cake on the day and blow out some candles and make wishes, what would our secret wish list look like?

Gets you thinking, right? Here’s a few wishes right off the top of my head; and you are welcome to add your own in the comments section...

#1: We wish our kids were more like us/ not so much like us (depending on the situation we are dealing with :D)

It is a matter of pride when someone tells us, our kids take after us. We love it. So obviously, we are faced with many situations when we cringe inwardly and say to ourselves “how I wish, he/she was more like me when it comes to…” On the other hand, we also know our weaknesses, and wish with all our heart that our kids don’t suffer from the same. And that is when we want them to be less like us….

#2:  We wish to look good for our kids

Women are nothing if not vain. As mothers, we are all comfortable in our own body (well, most of the time) and it shows in our confident smiles and beautiful curves. We know our husbands find us the most beautiful women in the world and we know our kids think the world of us! However, one critical word from our kids is enough to have us all worked up about our appearance…we are ready to do anything to appease our children; and are more likely to take our appearance seriously for our kids than for anything or anyone else.

#3 We wish our kids went to bed earlier

This is a no-brainer. Later sleep times make kids cranky and irritable. It also gives the mother less time to let her hair down at the end of the day before her own bedtime. We know this only too well; and therefore, while outwardly enjoying the delayed bath and bedtime routines, we always keep a wary eye on the clock; and no matter what time the kids finally get to sleep, we cannot help thinking it would’ve been better if they’d slept a little earlier!

#4 We wish we didn’t have to bribe our kids

No mother will ever own up to this, but it is still a truth. Each one of us, no matter how strict with our principles, has, on more than one occasion, successfully bribed our kids. It could be for something serious or huge, like staying at Granny’s for a few days while we cannot be with them for some reason; or for something as trivial as letting go of our favourite coffee mug (guilty!). It doesn’t matter what the reason is, what matters is the fact that every mother, no matter how ideal she thinks herself to be; has done this; and we wish we really didn’t have to do this to our kids.  

#5 We wish we didn’t have to lie to our kids, even if it was for good reason

This is another thing no mother will own up to readily. We all think progressively, and want our children to know the right answers to all their questions. We try to be as candid and truthful with them as possible. But with children, especially, really young ones; truth has its own limitations. There are a lot of things that are difficult to explain to children without embarrassing ourselves or making them aware of some nasty facts about life that we wish our children never get to know in their life…..so then, we lie….for their own good....but we really wish we didn’t have to!

#6 We wish our kids chose less opportunities to embarrass us

This is especially true in case of little ones who are not yet at an age where they appreciate the nuances of social ethics and etiquette. They invariably end up saying the most embarrassing things in the trickiest of situations. Be it a child who has asked for the return gift at a birthday party saying “…let’s get the return gift and leave Mom, I want to go home…”; or be it the child who tells Aunt Pinky what other family members really say about her behind her back….we have all been there, suffered that…and we really wish this was not the case.

#7 We wish we could pick out our kids’ clothes/toys/friends (ah, I wish!)/even what they watch on TV

Well, we are Mothers, and we cannot believe there is anyone better than us, who can choose the best things for our children. Be it their school, their sitter, their toys, their books or their clothes we want to be the one who chooses these for our kids. Yes, we definitely want our children to have the freedom and independence to choose for themselves, but that is so long as we approve of their choices ….we are especially keen to fight (an often losing battle) with our kids to let us be the ones to decide their friends…..and yes, of course we want a say in what our kids watch on TV! 

#8 We wish we hadn’t forgotten that one time to pick up our child/children from school

This can happen to the best of us! I myself am guilty of this. Well, it was one of those times when the school timings were changed for a few days for some reason and the school let out earlier than usual….that is not an excuse, definitely, but it is what it is….I also know of a parent who forgot to get to school on the Result Day…the poor thing just forgot! 

#9 We wish someone understood that although we love our children more than anything in the world…we do enjoy an occasional time-out just by ourselves, even if it is to save our sanity

We know we don’t say this, but we need and enjoy a little 'alone time' from time to time. We also know this makes most of us mothers feel guilty, but it is also very essential for us to stay sane. No matter how much we love our kids, we all want that little time to ourselves where we take a breather and are not constantly being pulled in ten different directions trying to address every whim and fancy of our kids and other family members.

#10 And last, but not the least…. we wish we were a little stricter and disciplined our kids more often   

What mother can stay angry with her children for long? No matter how grave a mistake our little ones have committed, we are always the first ones to forgive our kids and move on. Yes, we make them aware of the consequences of their choices, even punish them at times, but we cannot stay upset with them…no, not for long…but yes, we do wish sometimes, for their own sake, that we weren't so easy on them...we are trying to help them really good human beings, after all, and that definitely cannot be done with just a loving hand and not discipline.

So, that’s a few secret wishes I came up with. But every mother has a set of kids that are unique and an equally unique set of wishes for them, so if you have something on your mind, don't forget to share them in the comments section so that we can all take turns picking out our very own, special secret wish from the list!

Happy mothering!