Mum will give out to her children in public and doesn't care who knows it
Mum-of-eight and blogger Krechelle Carter certainly has her hands full. Managing one or two kids in public comes with it's own challenges, but she has a bigger brood to contend with.
Sit here, don't touch that, no running, don't lick that- the crazy stuff mums say on an average day is enough to drive anyone up the wall.
Carter gets our pain, and she's going to give out to her children as much as she pleases, thank you very much.
"All I want to do is tell off my 42 children in peace!" she begins. "Without you b**tards judging me; Susan, Gertrude and Barry."
She says that she is sick of being "mum shamed" in public.
"Every-time I start to tell my children off; (Granted I sound a bit like a bulldog eating a tire). I’m met with an audience of other parents or relatives, sometimes random strangers judging the way that I’m handling things."
And while she tries to be "diplomatic and calm" there is only so much she can handle.
"There is only so many times I can say; 'sweetheart can you please not hit your sister with a rock because when you do your entering her personal space and it hurts and how do you think that makes her feel?'
"By the third time it kinda comes out like: 'if you touch your sister one more damn time I’m putting your iPad in the rubbish bin'
As guilty as she feels for losing her temper it's only made worse by strangers unwanted opinions.
"And then I’m already feeling guilty because I got mad. Or because I handled it not perfectly. God forbid you raise your voice over the hush of a whisper to your precious little angels.
"Then I’ve got old Aunt Gertrude asking me 'to give the poor boy a break.' Ha! I’ll give you a bloody break in a minute Aunt Gertrude! Right in the face. (I have no idea what that means; I’m irrational right now)."
As any mum knows kids tend to get a dose of "amnesia once we leave the front door."
A particularly fraught part of the day is the school-run, especially if running late.
"We’ll be walking along a road and my children will start play fighting like they’ve just entered a WWE arena and I’ll have to say “HEY; focus guys” in a loud stern enough voice so all six can hear me.
"And then it begins again. The judgmental stares, the head shakes."
To makes matters work, strangers comment on her situation.
"An old man actually asked me if I was going to tell my child off? When I was mid telling him off. To which I chose to respond inside my head; 'f**k off Barry'."
Preach it mama. Carter has three reasons why she's telling her kids off and tbh we completely relate.
"Number one: I won’t remember! Number two: I don’t have time to sit down and pee let alone to lecture them later. And number three: They were most probably being an a**hole; so maybe they should not be an a**hole and I wouldn't have to pull them up on it?"
She doesn't like discipling (who does?) but its part of a mum's job.
"I don’t want to have these conversations, I don’t want them to miss out on things or put them in time out and I especially don’t want to say it in front of a bunch of strangers. But I gotta do what I gotta do. And I’d just really appreciate a little more support and a little less glaring."
Instead of staring something that stressed mums could really use is a bit of support and appreciating that each mum has different rules.
"I'm doing the best I can. I'm raising my children with rules. And I choose to stick to those rules.
"When we’re at home. When we’re at friends houses. When we’re at the shops. And especially during school pick up and drop off.
"When I’m doing it for their own safety. When there are roads involved. My rules might not be the same as your rules. But can’t we all just support each other in our parenting choices?"
To all the other mothers going through through the exact same thing, Carter's right there with ya.
"I’m sorry people are such judgey b**tards. Making you feel less of a parent when your really being more of a parent.
"If your telling your child off in-front of a bunch of silent judgmental eyes; I'm with you! You’ll get no judgement from me. You may get an impromptu fist bump."
It ain't easy, but we got your backs mums!