Pride Rides the Swing

By Veronica

I had taken all four children to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. I had the baby strapped into a carrier on my chest, and I was pushing my four year old on the swing. The two year old and five year old were playing on the slides.

Another mom put her two small children in the baby swings next to me. We began to chat, the way moms do when they don’t know each other. We talked about our kids, and she told me that the tykes in swings were her only two children, conceived through in vitro fertilization, and she was debating whether to have another baby.

She expressed surprise that I had four, and began talking to me as though I were some kind of parenting authority.

It flatters my vanity to be spoken to this way. I waxed philosophical about the challenges of four small kids. I told her that having three forced me to give up my perfectionist goals and accept the chaotic life of children. I told her that three was the magic number when I began to settle into this life with more joy and less anger, and structure my life around the kids for my contentment as much as theirs.

I was really enjoying my role as Parenting Expert on the playground, sharing my hard-won wisdom. And just as I was thinking how well-earned my new status was, and how very impressive I am, I gave my four year old another push on the swing.

And I pushed her right off the swing. She went free into the air, and then straight into the dirt.

It’s hard to maintain a supermom image after that. She wasn’t hurt, and we dusted ourselves off – she literally and I metaphorically. She ran off to play on the slide and I followed.

I never knew swings could be so humbling.

8 Responses to Pride Rides the Swing
  1. Ann
    May 26, 2009 | 8:07 am

    Oh how I can identify! Thanks for sharing!

  2. edj
    May 26, 2009 | 9:45 am

    This happened to help the other mom! Nothing like feeling yourself inadequate to the wise, experienced mom of 4…then she pushes her child off the swing, and you feel much better all of a sudden 🙂 It was so kind and considerate of you to do that.

  3. Beck
    May 26, 2009 | 9:53 am

    He hee hee hee hee.
    I think that one of the truly important lessons in motherhood is that while there are more experienced mothers, there really aren’t any expert mothers.

  4. Amelia's Crumbs
    May 27, 2009 | 4:59 pm

    Ha! This is the story of my life. People often look at me in awe when I confess I have four. It doesn’t take much time with me though to realize I am barely holding it together. I pushed Boo off a swing just this week. 🙂

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