Today, after spending the entire weekend preparing for and then hosting a friend's bridal shower, I took the day off from work. However to cope with a 4 year old that is more akin to a European dictator than a cuddly toddler many days, I had to dress as if I was going to work, and leave at my usual time. Underneath a shift dress I wore gym clothes and changed in my own garage. Luckily, this ploy worked and my husband was able to drop him at camp with minimal resistance (as a full time working mom, a day off for me signals a weekend for my son, and we could not have another epic meltdown like last week when I made the foolish mistake of thinking I could work from home and that he would still agree to leave the house at 8 am).
When we are on the emotional roller coaster with our mostly sweet, but sometimes difficult son (after school ends, before camp begins, when the teacher is absent and their is a sub, when the wind blows west instead of east), I need to stay away from social media where pictures of compliant, smiling children and their easy going, happy parents flood my news feeds and make me feel inadequate, foolish, and completely isolated. The 'this too shall pass' motto is hard to muster with any sincerity, and 'one day at a time' feels like a Tough Mudder competition.
To any parents out there that may relate, let this be my hand reaching out to say you are not alone.
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