What is your worst "Mommy Moment"?
Written By Lauren Castor / 07/01/2008 / 8 Comments
Everyone's got one. (At least I hope I'm not the only one.) One of those moments when you realize you've done something so incredibly stupid you want  to crawl under a rock and stay there.  One of the moments where, if someone didn't know you caught a glimpse of your life right then, they would swear that you were the worst, most thoughtless parent in the world.  Mine is truely  mortifying and shameful, but here goes....

My husband and I had been sharing one car for a while- an older model Volvo.  When Maya was born, my dad lent me his newer little Honda Civic to drive around.  The Civic had the whole LATCH system thing installed in it, while the Volvo did not.   And Maya's carseat was made where if you did not use the LATCH system, you had to buckle the seatbelt over the top every time.

Well I'd been driving the Honda to work every day.  It was easy.  The seat was already  hooked in and all I had to do was put Maya in the seat and go.  And then one day my dad needed his car, and I drove the Volvo to work.  Already foggy from lack of sleep, I did what I had done every day- put Maya in her carseat and go.  It wasn't until I got it to the second stop sign and made a sharp right turn that I realized my error.  I watched in horror, in the rear-view mirror, as her carseat (with her in it) went sliding across the backseat and tipped over. 

She screamed bloody murder as I immediately pulled off into a driveway and righted her.  She was fine, just scared... but I wasn't! I sat there and cried for a good five minutes thanking God nothing worse had happened.  Looking back I realize that it was an honest enough mistake (although one with serious potential consequences).  BUT I never forgot to check and make sure her seat was secured after that. 


So surely I'm not the only one who's done something incredibly stupid.  Anyone feel up to sharing some of your "Bad Mommy Moments"?
 
Comments
  1. I have two really "Bad Mommy Moments" that stand out in my mind. When my oldest son Caleb was a toddler, we were driving down what used to be Old B'ham Highway. I have always been an animal lover. Right next to where the fish ponds are, I saw a very tiny puppy that looked as if it had been put out, perching precariously on a hill...well, I stopped to get it. Caleb was in the back in his toddler seat, and I told him mom would be right back. I waited until no traffic was coming, then ran across the road. The puppy got scared and ran into the underbrush, so I just turned around to go back across the road to my car. As I turned around, here goes Caleb across the road!!! He had gotten out of his seat, opened the door, and proceeded to cross the road, and a car was coming!!! Luckily, the driver slowed down, and I grabbed him up, crying hysterically, thinking of what might have been. That definitely was a lesson learned.

    With my youngest, Jacob, it is again a toddler story. My husband was working out of town during the week, so that left me taking care of two small boys, working part-time, and going to school full-time. I was lucky if I sometimes got a few hours of good sleep in. I had just gotten Caleb off to first grade, Jacob was playing in the living room and watching Nick Jr., so I thought I'd lay back and relax for a minute on the sofa before the day really began. I drifted off to sleep, and was awakened about 15 minutes later by a knock on the door. Jacob had went out our back sliding glass door and was out in the front yard in his diaper and pj shirt playing with our dog...very near the road. I felt horrible...about an inch high and covered in smut when I opened that door to our neighbor standing there with Jacob and Cricket. To put it mildly, I don't think I've enjoyed a short nap from that day forward.
    Posted By: auburngirl79 | 07/01/2008
     
  2. Well, thanks Lauren for this topic because it is comforting to know I'm not alone in some of the lessons learned in motherhood.

    A few years ago when my son was at WhiteWater, I was in charge of feeding his precious black lab, Sheba, who we were keeping at my mother-in-laws while we moved. I don't think Sheba liked the idea of being away from us and she was somewhat crazed when I opened the gate. She got out and I chased her all over the neighborhood, but before my eyes she ran in front of a car - a teen who was speeding- and was killed.

    When my son came home, he was beaming with energy and telling us about how much fun he had that day. Then, we had to tell him that his dog died. I have never felt so horrible. It was an accident, but I was responsible for the death of his "best friend"

    He still calls me "DK" from time to time....as in Dog Killer. Although he is joking, I'm somewhat suspicious.

    I think I need to call a therapist or have coffee with a friend now.....:)
    Posted By: tshadrix | 07/01/2008
     
  3. My son still reminds me periodically of the time I fell asleep and was late picking him up from school. It was one of those really wild, stressful days at work, so when I got off, I went home to change and laid down on the bed to pet my cat for just a few minutes. Time got the better of me and Kyle had to wake me up with a phone call at 3:30.

    I think I drove to school in record time to pick him up.
    Posted By: JenniferB | 07/01/2008
     
  4. I have a similar story to Lauren. Gaige and I were leaving the mall one day and he was so fussy. He was about three months maybe four months old at the most and I stayed in the parking lot to give him his bottle. He immediately feel asleep and I put him in his car seat. Being with a long shopping trip you know how it is when you have a baby and NOTHING FITS so shopping is not as fun as it used to be. That was my day and Gaige was so fussy.

    Here I am driving down the road with Gaige sleeping so I am enjoying my few moments of peace when all of a sudden I see his car seat slide to behind me instead of in the middle. I pulled over in a panic to fix his car seat. Thankfully he was not injured and he was still sleeping. Needless to say I always triple check the car seat now and make sure I have it tight.

    Glad to know I am not the only mom to have done that. Thanks Lauren for that.
    Posted By: GLKMOMMY | 07/01/2008
     
  5. Well, this probably isn't my WORST mommy moment...but...I DID have a carseat moment. I had laid my son across the back seat (he was probably about 2 at the time) and had changed his diaper/pullup whatever. Anyhow, after doing that, I put him into his carseat and we proceeded home; taking the long way, because I was trying to get him to sleep! So, we take a corner, and, there goes the carseat, across the seat and upside down in the floorboard!!! Of course, I panic, pull off the road, open the door and pick the carseat up, all the time saying, "It's okay, it's okay; I'm sorry Baby!!!!" I get the car seat picked up, get my son sitting upright, and he says to me, "That was fun, do it again!" Well, that's boys for you!!! I think he had unbucked his seat while I was changing his diaper. (Oh, the joys of an ADHD/ too smart for MY own good boy!)Needless to say, I made sure his carseat was buckeled in from then on.
    Posted By: songbird | 07/02/2008
     
  6. I have a bad mommy moment. When Gabie was three months old, she was scheduled for her well baby check. I left work early, called the babysitter on the way and told her to give Gabie Tylenol. I dirve to the doctor's office and Gabie was knocked out by the Tylenol. (it was the first time she had ever had any) I get her in the doctor's office and I find out we did not even have an appointment for that day! Our appointment was for the day before, which I missed. To make matters worse, the doc could not see us that day because most of his staff had the flu and they were closing early. I felt horrible for drugging my tiny baby for no reason. The nurse told me a little Tylenol never hurt anyone!!
    Posted By: gabiesmom | 07/07/2008
     
  7. I've done that, #6!
    Posted By: Lauren | 07/08/2008
     
  8. Well my mommy moment happened many years ago. Sasha is a mom now to a baby just a bit older than she was when i had my mommy moment. At the time time I drove my dads car with two doors...two very heavy doors and no what ever makes them stay open...I'm sure you know where im heading with this. While we shopped sasha had fallen a sleep and this was before the door lock bobs. I put her in secured her and reached for the the cart of grocerys the wind was blowing the door knocked into me almost knocking me down and slammed shut. Locked out with my sleeping baby inside. UGGGGG. I of course panicked becasue i was alone and i didnt want to leave her alone in the car but needed to get help. Of course this was before cell phones also .. the bag guy got it open sasha never woke up and I felt about stupid but I did survive LOL.. Missy
    Posted By: Luvsbears3 | 07/08/2008
     
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