Do as I say..Not as I Do

As if being a Mom is not stand alone the most stressful job there is..you also have to be a "Role Model"! I do laugh at this because sometimes it is not any fun being the role model!!

We spend all this time telling our kids what is right and what is wrong. Always say please and Thank you. And never swear and never be mean to anyone because you would not want anyone being mean to you. Always hold the door open for people behind you. Respect your elders. Always wear a seat belt..never litter!! And never smoke it is bad for your health and on and on and on. So it is a big responsibility being a Role Model and the thing is these kids absorb this stuff like a sponge and then they love telling you all the rules that we as Mom's are breaking everyday..so fun!! "Mom you said a bad word! Mom put on your seat belt before you back out of the driveway! Mom you yelled at that guy and made a gesture! Mom you just went through a red light!" It is so annoying having the miniature police watching you at all times!!

So I thought I was a pretty well seasoned Mom, but nothing can prepare you for the "My teenager is Driving Phase!" Now I am screwed because if my kids are going to follow my Role Model skills on the road..I am in big trouble!! So I take my 16 year old out for some driving time the other day (And I wish it was okay to have a glass of wine during these trips, but I have been told that it is frowned upon!) As we are navigating our way through the town and I am on my tenth Hail Mary (so glad my Catholic School days came back real quick!) his cell phone goes off in the back seat where he left it and he says "I am going to pull over in the next parking lot to check my text because I am suppose to go a game with my friends" and being Mother of the Year for sure in 2012 (This is my Year..I can feel it!) I say without even thinking "You don't have to pull over, I will just grab it for you and you can look" Well you would have thought I just confessed a murder to him because the look of horror on his face made me think real quick that I had said something wrong? He says "Mom I am driving and you cannot text and drive! It is against the law! Why would you suggest such a thing!" And trying to redeem myself I say "I was just testing you..and you passed..great job!" He has a smirk on his face and I know he does not believe me for one second. He finally says "Mom you are the worst Role Model for driving! You talk, text, Facebook and blog while you drive!!" I was horrified!  He is right...I was so embarrassed and I say "Keep your eyes on the road and Do as I say...Not as I do.:)"

I have always felt that one of the best Mom qualities is the ability to multitask! I think of all the times I would make a bottle or change a diaper at a red light while driving to soothe a crying baby, I could drive and find a missing "binky" that fell under a seat, I could get a snack and juice box out of a bag and hand it to my kids in the back seat all while driving, I think I made a whole dinner and fed them while driving once! As I run through the list in my head I can see where my kids will have a distorted approach to safe driving!

I will definitely have to make sure my kids "Do as I say and NOT as I Do!!" And if you see me driving I would go the other way because I am probably writing my blog on my I Phone or whipping up some lunch for my kids!