Tuesday, June 26, 2007

A Baby Story Rant

I love watching A Baby Story on TLC. I love it when they feature larger families. This particular family they featured yesterday was having their fifth baby. A boy after four girls. They were all seven and under like our family is currently. Except our boy is the eldest.

The thing that bothers me about the mom I watched is that she said that having five kids is easy! I was watching and I thought to myself. Lady, you have no idea. Right now that little boy just lays there and eats, sleeps and poops. He is the easiest out of the five of them RIGHT NOW. Just wait until you have an older child and he starts growing up!!

Anyways. It was just how she said it. She said It is easy to have five kids. She said it is easy because I am organized, we have schedules and we have rules that the kids follow.

She went on to say that people who find it hard to have five kids must not be organized, scheduled. We have rules that the family follows. From what I can gather her husband worked six days a week. And when he was home he was home at 7:30 at night, each night. And she says that is easy. I say she is lying. She says who cares if the house is dirty. I have a dirty house. Who cares if we eat dinner at 7:30. I say to that, if you had a schedule and rules that would all be taken care of and wrapped up already. Yes.

I have five kids, I am very organized, and I have a daily schedule. I can tell you my home is not dirty, and we have meals as a family almost every night. We find the dinner hour a very important time of the day! My husband works, mind you he comes home a lot earlier around dinner time. But, it is not EASY! I may make it look easy at times, but as you have come to know me. I know my readers have seen MANY posts about my bad days (like my yesterday for example!)

I just cannot believe somebody would just say that! It is easy!! I would say some days are easier than others, but I would not say it is EASY. In my experience, raising five kids has been very challenging, I give until I can give no more. Raising children, whether one or six or ten really can tax a solid marriage and relationships. At times I want to breakdown and run away. Some days I say I could have six more kids. Don't ask me when I am cleaning poop up! I would say at that point?! Why did I have kids?

Anyways. I just wanted to put my two cents in. Did anybody catch that episode yesterday? She just really bothered me. Even one child is not easy. She said she could add ten more kids in, and it would be easy because she is organized and scheduled. Wow...mind blowing to me.

I would say raising five kids has been rewarding, challenging, frustrating, interesting, trying at times. Difficult at times, and I have been stretched to my capacity at times.

Easy is when the kids are all in bed and asleep, and you can see them all recharging their batteries for the next day. That is when it is easy!! Because they are all on their "scheduled" sleep time lol.

Every day is a new day. I am thankful for that.

I know my life is going to get even more challenging with having six kids ages 8 and under. I have kids in pretty much every age and stage. I know it is not going to be EASY! I will just take it a day at a time. I know we will make it!

End of rant!

12 comments:

LauraC said...

I literally would have yelled at the TV if I heard someone saying something like that. EASY!! There is nothing easy about parenthood.

It is funny because you will never, ever hear a twin parent say having twins is easy, except maybe P. Diddy and Marcia Cross and you know how I feel about them.

And I do agree... some days are easier than others.

cathy said...

I think she had her TV face on! All good for the TV. Her four little girls had their hair done perfectly etc. And so she just did it all for TV!

And for you Laura, and my other Twin Mommy friends: I have always said it takes a special Mom to raise twins. I don't think I could do it! I send you all KUDDOS!!

Allyson said...

5 kids=easy=momma's on drugs!
4 kids=easy-drugs!
3 kids=easy-drugs!
2 kids=easy-drugs!
1 kid=easy-drugs!

Having children is a labour of love, hard work, and rolling that big rock up that mountain each and every day. No wonder we have humps when we get old. Keep taking your calcium mommas.

Alyson said...

My mother in law made a comment once that my house was easy to keep up and that was why it was so clean. That really made me angry because I work my butt off. My best friend who is childless also said to me one day....so...what DO you do all day?? implying that I must get bored.
I think that is why we just need to hear every once in a while that we are appreciated and warranted.
hrmph.

***********Dawn*********** said...

Cathy,

I saw that episode a while back and you are correct, she had her TLC face on!! From what I saw her house was dirty, the kids were running wild in the back yard and her "hillbilly" husband was MIA (conveniently as much as necessarily I bet). Your Mom is also right, you would have to be on Valium or a heavy narcotic in order to think having kids is EASY!! On my WORST days I think to myself, I do not know how Cathy does it!! You are truly an inspiration!!

Hugs,
Dawn

Anonymous said...

I only had one kid and that was hard work. Well I was working full time and single parent so that added into my stress level.

I guarantee that TLC woman was showing off for the camera. If her life really is like she describes those kids probably have a lot of hang-ups about perfectionism and people-pleasing.

Kerry said...

Cathy, out of all the people I know, you, most of all, are entitled to a rant like that!

One day, that woman will see that tape again and probably wish she had never said that. (I can only imagine seeing her in the grocery store looking frazzled with her kids in tow and someone coming up to her and asking if it's 'easy now?'.) LOL

Olena said...

I say drugs or lying. Having kids is anyting but easy.

cathy said...

I sure love you all! You make me feel so much better!! And I am getting so many laughs today which is a pleasant change!!

Hope Walls said...

She thinks parenting 5 is easy - wionder how she'd do with a BADGER. HA! Take THAT!

Irma said...

...I'd love to be a fly on her wall!!! Easy huh...whatever...somedays it feels easier and you wonder what your problem was yesterday till bam the next day you remember why! (-:

Carol Kerfoot said...

That women lies.