You Know You’re a Mom When… From Charleston Moms

A few weeks ago, on a Tuesday afternoon, my husband came home from work earlier than usual. I had a few errands I had planned on running with my toddler in tow and as we were getting ready to leave, he walked through the door. I quickly changed my plans, handed him our 18-month-old, gave him a kiss, and jumped in the car before he had a chance to stop me. I was going to run errands, alone. Even better, I was going to Target!

What I expected to be a fast-paced, stick-to-the-list, in-and-out trip with my daughter turned into a leisurely, hour-long stroll around the store all by myself!

As I walked through the store, feeling relaxed and cheerful, I thought, “You know you’re a mom when a solo trip to Target feels like a vacation!”

Since becoming a mom, I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life that only moms experience. I decided to ask some of our contributors to finish the sentence . . .

“You know you’re a mom when . . .”

• You realize an hour after carpool drop-off that you’re still listening to (and singing along with) the Old MacDonald/Wiggles/Disney Kids mix in the car.
• Someone mentions Uniqua, Rescue Rhonda, Mayor Goodway, Izzy, or Jewel Sparkles . . . and you know exactly who or what they’re referring to.
• You go digging in your purse for lip gloss and locate three pacifiers and no lip gloss.
• You have washed the same load of laundry three times.
• All six Paw Patrol pups become permanent fixtures on the side of your garden tub.

• A cup of coffee becomes your daily luxury.
• A trip to the bathroom alone becomes a rarity.
• All of the children fall asleep in the car, and you just park somewhere for “alone” time before possibly waking them up.
• You know the words to every Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood song or find yourself singing “Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog . . .”
• Catching your child’s vomit in your hands doesn’t faze you, and you’re more relieved that you don’t have a huge mess to clean up.
• You do more in seven minutes than most people do all day.
• Stuffed animals go everywhere with you.

• Happy hour is now the time between your kid’s bedtime and yours.
• You can’t take a bath without someone barging in; Showering in peace feels like you’re at a spa.
• You clean out your car and find melted crayons in the backseat.
• You finally get to go on a date night with your husband, and proceed to spend the entire night talking about your kids!
• You find yourself talking in the third person all the time . . . “Mommy needs a nap!”
• Your car becomes a Goldfish and Teddy Graham graveyard.
• You find the missing pacifier in your bra.
• The slow cooker becomes your BFF.
• Your breast leaks in a business meeting.
• Your toddler tells you all the adorable dramas of daycare.
• You ask an adult where the “potty” is.
• You realize great moms come from all different circumstances.

What would you add to the list?