I have this mom points system in which I give myself points for doing outstanding things. Like staying up all night with a puking child. Or hosting a sleepover for ten girls. Or figuring out how to put together a toy with 157 parts. For sure, most any mom deserves mom points, though I regularly award myself extra ones for special needs parenting situations. Successfully getting the insurance company to pay for claims: big points. Acing the IEP: major points. Weathering Max's obsessions: points up the wazoo.
I've had this system for years. Sadly, there is no way to cash in points for valuable prizes like a trip to Tahiti. Nor do I have a bulletin board in the house with a chart where I give myself little gold stars. No, the mom points are all in my head—ones I dole out when I have displayed extreme patience, smarts, fortitude or endurance and nobody is giving me props for it but...me.
This is not to be confused with my partner points system, in which I mentally rack up points for picking up Dave's socks off the bedroom floor, remembering to enroll our children in school for the following year, keeping our family well stocked in Funyuns and being the only person in our relationship to notice that the kitchen floor hasn't been mopped in two weeks.
So here's what's earning me an astounding volume of mom points lately. It started with Max watching YouTube videos of fire trucks around the country. Sometimes, I could tune out the sounds if I was focused on something else. Sometimes, we plugged in his headphones.
But lately, Max doesn't just want to watch fire trucks. He wants to imitate their sounds, with bonus horn beeps thrown in. And there is no turning down his volume.
Putting up with this is worth a least a kajillion mom points, I think.
So, for what do you deserve mom points? Share here, and they will be awarded to you by...karma.
My mom deserves a ton of "mom points" just for being her and dealing with a bunch of stuff that was not in her wildest dreams: delivering twins at 28 weeks w/o pain meds, driving 3 hrs for expert medical treatment, IEP's and 504 plans, hearing aids, horrible specialists, lacking case managers, growth hormone injections, a rare yet thankfully solved medical issue and high levels of sometimes inappropriately displayed stress and fear. Plus typical mom stuff: helping with homework, calling administration, dealing with poor teachers, teaching us how to drive. So yeah my mom is the best.
ReplyDeleteYes! Yes! The Boy does this too except his is random (but frequent) "WHOO-HOOOS" while he's watching the latest video with headphones on. I choose to believe that this newish behavior is a sign of developmental improvement on a massive scale. And I try to remember not to sit too close. He's not the only one with a startle reflex.
ReplyDeleteStitches for the two year old (100 points). Getting a shower during the week of snow/cold days off school (10 points). Flu shot for 48 lb, irate kindergartener ( 50 points). Dinner on time (10 points). Grocery store under budget (50 points) .....
ReplyDeleteLove your point system Ellen
ReplyDeleteRedeem your mom points for an iced coffee or other treat of your choice.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS!! I'd like to add "showered, dressed, put on makeup, earrings and two shoes of the same kind." LOLOL
ReplyDelete