“This is Margaret, she has four kids, can you believe that?!”
That is how I am introduced to people these days. This is always followed by “wow, you are amazing,” or some sort of compliment with the word “super mom” thrown in there.
I hate the word “super mom.”
While maybe some people would love hearing all of these responses, it makes me feel very 
uncomfortable. I mean, it’s not like my husband and I found four children abandoned on the side of the road, and we made the selfless decision to take them into our home. We planned on our children and knew exactly what we had in store; the good, the bad, and the stinky. Just because I have four children does not automatically imply that I am a better mother, more patient, or more loving than someone with one. Kids are hard no matter how many you have. So now, as if the breastfeed vs formula, stay at home vs working, co-sleeping vs sleep training debates were not enough, now there seems to be a competition over the number of children you have! I guarantee there is a mom of 5+ children rolling her eyes at this very blog, thinking “she only has four; she has it easy.” There is also a mother of two thinking that they are not good enough because they stopped at two. Stop the silliness, people!
Yes, I have four children, but, no, I am not a super mom … I am super tired, though. And some days, I feel like I and doing this parenting thing super wrong. My kids are often super misbehaved and running around with no shoes, so they are often super dirty. My husband and I also have some super miscommunication issues from time to time. I am just as super stressed as you are, momma of one and two, no more, no less, no better.
About Margaret
Margaret O’Bryon is a Norfolk, Virginia native and Old Dominion University alumni (go monarchs!). She resides on the Westbank with her husband, four children and their dog, who is the most behaved out of all of them
