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being a mom is hard, blood is not thicker than water, childfree life, childless, comparison, human empathy, it's all about your kids, love kids but don't have kids, mommyjacking, moms, my husband is a man-child, my pets are my kids, no kids, parental oversharing, parenting, pet parent, STFU parents, TMI, urbandictionary, what is mommyjacking
This post is for people with completely different lifestyles and those who have just crossed over into the role of parenthood, the never-ending job that you will never retire from. Some of your friends don’t have your lifestyle, but should you try to understand each other? Absolutely.
I’m writing this to talk about the buzzword Mommyjacking. I’m reminding humans on both sides to take a step back and appreciate the family or friendship they’ve always had.
Half of me is like, “No, this post is not directed towards you!” and the other half of me is like, “This is for you and people can understand you better than you think, and you’re not alone!”
So what is mommyjacking according to the internet?
This post is sparked when from out of nowhere, a family member is describing their day to a group of us, looks at me, and says, “Imagine trying to sit down and write your book and a toddler interrupts you every 30 seconds.”
Out of nowhere.
I interact with children now, though there weren’t a lot in my family growing up. I’m used to talking with friends who get distracted by their kid and come back to the conversation. It’s no big deal and kids interrupt. The amazing thing about them is that you can see them learning every time they do. I like to think of them as scientists. I just saw a tweet from Neil deGrasse Tyson about this, so i might have gotten it from him years ago. I confess. There it is.
I think what Moms don’t know, is that we appreciate what you do to take care of your kids! People without them would be naive to think it’s an easy job, and yeah, some people are naive. I promise though, that most of your friends won’t be.
Other conversations I’ve heard or have been a part of have gone like this:
“Just wait until you have kids.”
“You drank a bunch of water and had to pee 5 times this morning. Now you know what it’s like to be pregnant!”
“You were in the waiting room for your husband’s surgery? That’s nothing. It’s completely different when it’s your kid is gettting surgery.”
What mom’s need to know is that their friends without kids:
- We have most likely worked in a demanding job and have been in charge of complicated tasks with distractions.
- We don’t work well without an adequate amount of sleep either.
- We have human empathy, and can fully understand when you say it breaks your heart to see your child not feel well.
- We are capable of LOVING others even if we don’t have kids. Our families, friends, significant others, and even pets, will not rank higher than a child. When we love someone there are no exceptions as to whether or not we made them. It’s like saying an adopted child wouldn’t be as loved as a child born naturally to you. We can love people who don’t share our blood.
- We take you seriously.
- We are happy that you care so much about your kid!
What people without kids USUALLY understand about moms:
- Your responsible friends: Will understand your kids come first.
- Your hard-working friends: WIll understand the distractions of a day on your job.
- Your kind friends: Will understand that you love your child with all of your heart!
In summary, if you feel the need to Mommy-jack, you probably aren’t hanging out with the right people. Surround yourself with the empathetic and kind, and the friends who won’t mind if you don’t text back for 48 hours! Empathy is key here, and just because we are in different stages of life, it doesn’t mean we can’t relate to each other.