10 things i’m no longer ashamed to admit (about being a mom)

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Sep 20 12:37 PM posted by Team Ricki

Originally posted in the August edition of Ricki Magazine. Get September's edition here.

Motherhood is fraught with judgment: from friends, family, and most of all, ourselves. Moms–especially new ones–see every scraped knee as evidence we’re not living up to the title of “mother.” I have four kids, so I’m a parenting veteran of sorts, and I have a dirty little secret to share with all the parents trying to get it right.

Ready? Here it is: There is no “right.”

Samantha Kemp-Jackson's Top 10 Confessions

1) I didn’t sterilize everything that went into my kids’ mouths. Yes, I’ve let them eat food that fell on the floor. They’ve survived, and I’m sure their collective immunities are very strong.

2) Frozen pizza is on the dinner menu at least once a week. Ditto for hamburgers and/or hot dogs. And the kids don’t always get fresh vegetables with every meal. They’re often frozen.

3) Folding laundry is only done sometimes, and ironing is practically non-existent in my home. Actually “iron” is considered a curse word at our house.

4) Technology is my friend – the iPad and my iPhone are loaded with kid-friendly games, books and videos in order to give me extra quiet time while they’re busy.

5) I bribe my kids to get them to behave. That’s right, bribery, which may include treats, a new toy or similar. It works.

6) My kids sometimes go to sleep without brushing their teeth – and that’s okay. They just brush extra hard the next morning.

7) I let my kids watch at least an hour of TV or video per day, just so that I can get something done in the house (cooking, cleaning, down time).

8) I’ve never been part of the PTA and don’t volunteer for my kids’ school activities. I also don’t bake cookies or cakes for the kids’ school bake sales, or sew homemade Halloween costumes. I’m just not that type of mom – and I’m cool with that.

9) Bedtime stories can often take too long so I skip pages and make things up along the way to speed up the process.

10) I look forward to dropping my kids off at school and daycare because it means some peace and quiet for a few hours before the mayhem begins–again.'

Which “sins” of motherhood do you want to come clean about? Talk to us!

The voice behind the popular parenting blog Multiple Mayhem Mamma, Samantha Kemp-Jackson is a writer, blogger, parenting expert and mother of four. She lives in Toronto, Canada.