So let’s imagine for now that our love for our children…
““So let’s imagine for now that our love for our children and our thankfulness for their existence is a given. Let’s imagine that no one can possibly doubt the depths of our feelings for our sons and daughters. Let’s imagine that everyone in the world knows exactly how much we love all the many things there are to love about our children and the relationships we have with them. Let’s imagine that we are all most definitely Good Moms, and, with all that on our side, admit for a moment what we don’t love. I’ll give you my list, you add your own. I don’t love every minute of going to the playground. I don’t love every minute of going to the museums. I don’t love every minute of watching Elmo. I don’t love every minute of having to wake up early in the morning. I don’t love every minute of having interrupted sleep at night. I don’t love every minute of having to be the one to make the rules and the one who must enforce them. I don’t love every minute of laundry. I don’t love every minute of changing diapers. I don’t love every minute of having to endure the stares of people when my child freaks out in public. I don’t love every minute of making food that my kid ends up throwing on the floor. I don’t love every minute that I have the Barney song stuck in my head. I don’t love every minute of having to reason with a tantrum-throwing toddler. I don’t love every minute of being peed on, pooped on, and thrown-up on. I don’t love every minute of weaning. I don’t love every minute of sidewalk chalk. I don’t love every minute of having to pick up the blocks fifteen times a day. I don’t love every minute of putting my life on hold. I don’t love every minute of tantrums. I don’t love every minute of going to story time at the library. I HATE the Teletubbies. I don’t love every minute of being chained to someone else’s routine. I don’t love every minute of not being able to go to the bathroom without company. I don’t love every minute of being a mother.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker acknowledges the idealized view of motherhood and then lists many mundane, exhausting, and unpleasant tasks that come with raising children, highlighting the gap between ideal and reality.
In simple terms: Motherhood includes many disliked chores and moments.
Key Takeaway
Accept the dislike and seek support.
Themes
parenting
realism
self‑compassion
Mood
frustrated
honest
reflective
Type
personal essay
confessional
When to use this quote
- laundry
- diaper changes
- early mornings
- public tantrums
- sleep deprivation
Key Concepts
expectations vs reality
daily grind
emotional labor
Questions to Reflect On
- Which of these tasks could be shared or outsourced?
- How can you honor the love while acknowledging the dislike?
A Different Perspective
The list may overlook the joy and fulfillment that also exist in parenting.