Confessions of a New Mom

Before I was a mom I did a lot of things differently. I thought differently. I had a different perspective on the world.

There are many things that have changed, some big some small, some for worse, some for the better. These are not complaints, I am happy being a mom. They are just observations. Here are some:

Before I Was a Mom I Never Thought About Back-Burner Cooking

Before I was a mom I didn't think much about back burner cooking. I do a lot of what I like to call back burner cooking now. Anything that is cooking on the stove when my son is roaming the kitchen is put on the back burners. It makes me wish for a stove with four back burners instead of two.

Before I was a Mom I Sort of Recycled

While I have spent the past decade recycling at home, and encouraging workplaces to do the same, I was really only half-heartedly doing the job. I have not gone as far as using cloth diapers, but now I am a fastidious recyclers.

I will pull an empty cereal box out of our trash that someone else threw in there.

I remove the little plastic window from pasta boxes so the cardboard can be recycled.

I do the same for windowed-envelopes to recycle the paper.

I will keep empty bottles of water in my car and take them home to recycle, rather than throw them in a trash basket somewhere.

Before I Was a Mom I Always Returned Shopping Carts

As a generally polite and conscientious person I used to always return shopping carts to the store or to their little gated area in a parking lot. Now, especially in inclement or cold weather, my main concern is getting my son and the goods in the car. I will not leave him alone in the car for even one second, so the cart stays by the car. I feel guilty about this.

Before I Was a Mom I Ate a Lot Better

Before I was a mom my nutritional intake was a lot healthier than it is now. I had more money to buy organic produce and meats. I made more vegan and vegetarian meals. Now I am lucky to scoop down a couple of bites of left-over macaroni and cheese for lunch.

Before I Was a Mom Searched Online for Interesting Topics

I used to do a lot more online searching about color theory, nutrition data and new technology. Now I find myself searching for important items like "how to remove banana stains," "baby + not sleeping," and "baby teething charts." These are real searches I have done recently. I could not make those up.

Before I Was a Mom I Had More Patience

I used to have a lot more patience. I think it's because I used to have a lot more alone time. This one frustrates and saddens me. This one will have to change.

Before I Was a Mom I Did Not Care About Ads Directed at Kids

Now that I am a mom I am becoming more and more appalled at the rampant commercialism and advertising directed at the very young. Even PBS stations have commercials now for McDonald's and Chuck-E Cheese.

Before I Was a Mom I Had a Much Better Memory

Pregnancy brain has not left me yet. I am always misplacing my wallet and my driving glasses. I always forget something when my son and I leave the house and we have to run back in and get it.

I used to have a brain, I really did!

Before I Was a Mom I Had Much Less Daily Entertainment

My son is the biggest clown and entertainer. He makes me laugh daily with his silly antics.

While a lot of things have changed, and other areas still need adjustments, I would not trade being a mom for anything.