I'm Good at Fixing Socks

A few times a day one of my kids asks me to play with them. It's usually my baby, my 3 year old daughter. Sometimes I say yes, not usually though. Each time I say no I feel bad.

I'm not good at playing. I am not a great pretender and there are always rules to the playing that I am horrible at following. I don't know what a pony is suppose to say to another pony and I am not sure how a big Barbie is suppose to be a mommy to a Magic Clip doll. Plus, playing usually includes running all over the house and again, not a fan.

She's not my first child to get gypped out of pretend play with mom. I didn't really do it with my older two either. Fortunately when they were little they liked to play together, for the most part, at least when they were both under 5. She however rarely has anyone home (the older two are in school) to play with. When my bean, my older daughter, is home she will play with her...sometimes.

I have always felt guilty about not being a great "pretend play" mom. I have talked at length to people about it and look longingly at woman on Facebook and Instagram who seem to always be engaged with their children in one activity or another. I am, however, not one.

Recently though I have realized something. I am good at fixing socks, and I am good at having chocolate milk ready in the morning, and I am good at cuddling on the couch when my babies aren't feeling good or even if they are. I may not be good at certain things as a mom, but I love my babies and I make sure they know it. So, when they look back on their childhoods they may remember that I didn't play with them a lot or they may not. I do know that they will know I loved them and really that is all that really matters.

So, for those moms out there that sometimes feel less than, so do I. For those moms that don't play pretend or don't play sports or don't enjoy watching video games for countless hours, you are not alone. But if you love your babies, like I'm sure you do, they know, and that is enough.