My Strange Addiction

No, I don’t have one. I’m talking about the show on TLC.  I can now add eating laundry detergent, sleeping with a blow dryer, and snacking on toilet paper or couch cushions (among numerous other freaky things—seriously, where do they find these people!) to my ever-growing list of reasons my children could end up in therapy if I'm not a perfect parent. (Me? Overreact? NEVER!)

But seriously, I’m sure that’s one of the fears every parent has, at least to some degree.  I mean, we all know how much pressure there is to be the “perfect” parent and raise perfect kids who turn into polite, responsible, and productive members of our society. As parents, we have by far the most responsibility in shaping our child's life, by nature and nurture. When something goes “wrong” and a kid adopts some freaky addiction or heaven forbid, goes on a shooting rampage, I know I’m not the only one who looks at the parents, searching for any clue as to what went wrong.

Whenever Adam and I struggle to get Logan to eat his dinner, Aidan to do his homework, or let Lorelai cry because I can't (or won't) pee or cook dinner with a baby in my arms, it’s in the back of my mind that I hope we don’t mess them up for life!

Rationally, I know that parents aren't always to blame. Rationally, I know that I'm doing my best as a mom and that bottom line, I love and provide for my kids (which is apparently half the battle, if you ever turn on the news and hear the horror stories of abuse and neglect). And rationally, I know that it takes a lot more than a fight over food or homework and some crying to develop any type of addiction or other shrink-worthy behavior…but maybe I’d better keep a closer eye on the toilet paper, just in case.