things i just don't worry about as a mom

since i started blogging back in 2008, i have realized that we are not the only big family on the planet. come on, i knew that, but it seemed like everywhere we went people were shocked to see us with six kids in tow. i have gotten to know so many wonderful big families since i started blogging, but i still hear that people these days just don't have big families like they use to. perhaps that's true, i haven't researched the stats, but there are definitely more than others realize. people are still having big families. in fact, my sister has six kids too, and my parent's love to say "we have two daughters and 12 grandchildren". you should see the looks they get.

one of the biggest questions that arise when we are spotted with our little tribe, is "how do you do it"? most of the time i say this..."tight budget, strict schedule, and lots of patience"... but honestly, you just can't let your panties get in a bunch and make a big deal about things. you just can't! i have learned to pick my battles and although i still feel like i am a pretty strict mama, every day i am learning more about what really matters. and every day i remind myself that the most important thing is to live by my values.


here are just a few things that i just don't worry about as a mom:


what my kids wear. they pick their own clothes out every day and if it's a total fashion fail, i absolutely do not care. tennis shoes with that dress? whatever! my only rule...nothing revealing.

my kids love these nerd glasses. tyler wore the outfit on the right to school one day. she's wearing two skirts at once. oh well.

eating off the floor. of course, i don't serve food on the floor, but if it falls, so what...5 second rule. hell, 5 minute rule, so what! if your ice cream falls in a pile of cat hair and you feel comfortable eating it, well go right ahead...and then tell me where that cat hair came from because we don't have a cat.

 

elijah's food that he was eating...in the bathroom. he later went back and finished it. and just eating some food he stole.

cleaning your plate. not everyone likes the exact same foods, and with 8 people in our family, meal time is never going to exactly what each of us wants. however, we have a "no thank you" bite rule that encourages our children to try their food. one bite to taste it, and if you decide you don't like it, your "no thank you" bite tells me that you are kindly refusing any more. we never force our children to eat anything they don't like, but you have to try it to know that you don't like it.

what my kids watch on tv. during the school week, we pretty much don't allow our children to watch tv at all. weekends...whatever. and we don't put on pornos and sit our kids down for family movie night, but rated R with the occasional boob or killing is not off limits. we talk to our children about this stuff and i feel like if i am doing my part as a parent to talk to them, then i don't have to put limits on it.

 

gender stereotypes. if our boys want to play with barbies and our girls want to climb trees or play football, we are fine with that.

sexuality. our kids will grow up to be who they feel most comfortable being. regardless of whether that means they are gay, straight, marry outside of their race, or stay single forever, we will love them because they are our children.

stuff. we are a family about doing, not having. i would much rather have the memory of our time together than a pile of junk to be sorted through. we give our kids the things that they want, but always remind them that life is so much more than that.

what other people think. my kids are my kids, i am their mother, and who cares if you don't like the decisions i make. that is not just something i say, it's something i mean. ask anyone who knows me.


what are some things that you just don't worry about as a parent?

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