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• A True Mom Confession: I said sayonara to Santa

  An uneventful ride to school last week went awry when my 7-year-old son, Owen, busted out the inevitable Santa question. “Is Santa real, Mom?” This same conversation years earlier with my girls, who are now 9 and 17, had been riddled with complex emotions – disappointment, sadness, anger and betrayal.  (“How could you lie to us all these year?s!!!” was a biggie.) With Owen, however, it was cut and dry. I offered up my default, sing-songy response: “Well, he’s real if you believe in him. He’s really the ‘Spirit of Christmas…’” But he cut me off before I perjured myself any further.  “Well, if he’s not real, then make sure you get me that Wii soccer game, OK?” That was that. Some other moms don’t have it so easy. On my web site, Truemomconfessions.com, I’ve noticed that women, especially those who don’t have the years in the trenches that I do, are struggling with their own December Dilemmas. Preserve the magic or debunk the myth? With hundreds of confessions pouring in on the subject, it’s become really clear that a line has been drawn in the sand (or the snow, rather) with moms falling on one side or the other of the Great Santa Divide.  A sampling of what moms are ’fessing up to: 12.14.07  3:24a             I hate that I spend all this time, money and effort finding the perfect gifts, only to have all the glory stolen by a fat guy in a suit at the last minute!! 12.13.07  12:53a             I almost told my kids there was no Santa Claus because they made me very mad yesterday morning. 12.12.07  4:12p             I know Santa isn't really real, but I think Santa is just a contemporary representation of Christmas and all of the feelings we have at Christmas, such as Hope (for miracles), Generosity (wanting to give to those you love), and Belief (a.k.a. Faith in something "magical"...). To me, belief in Santa isn't that much different than faith in Jesus (have any of you actually met either one??) My kids know EXACTLY what Christmas is about; they understand it's sbout the birth of Jesus Christ - they even sing Happy Birthday to Him! So, if we want to believe in Santa, LEAVE US ALONE & DON"T SPOIL IT!! 12.12.07  7:40a             My 2 year old asked my why Santa came to the house to drop off gifts. It's sad to say that I have no clue why. I told him that it was Jesus's birthday and Santa is nice and likes everyone to get presents. I used to think I was fairly intelligent...not anymore. 12.12.07  6:36a             I will keep the tradition of Santa for my girls until the day I die. Santa isn't just a man in a suit, to me he's a symbol that more people can relate to no matter what their background is. That's pretty special. How can something that can bring such joy be called a lie? 12.11.07  5:12p             Seriously, if finding out about Santa is such a trauma, why start the lie to begin with? My parents never did "Santa" with us, and I'll never do it with my child. She knows the truth :) 12.07.07  7:02p             my son wouldn't go to bed last night so I called Santa (AKA my brother!) and had him talk to my son. Worked like a charm!! :-) I hope I can use it after Christmas too! 12.07.07  4:02p             My son didn't believe us when we told him about Santa. Lol Do you have your own Santa story to share?  Leave your own -- or read more at truemomconfessions.com . Posted Dec 17 2007, 11:12 PM by TrueConfessions with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: santa, moms, True Mom Confessions, confessions

• True Mom Confession of the Week: Will Billy Have Two Mommies??

  True Mom Confessions is a revelation...  A place to stop and read if you ever (even for one split second) feel less than, ashamed, odd-mama-out, worried you're not doing things right.  If you take a few minutes to read, you'll feel better and more normal than you ever dreamed and if you confess, you'll feel absolved and lighter.  I suspect it's the magical combination of anonymity, "me too" buttons, and voyeurism/exhibitionism.  Whatever the reason you read, this week's confession is remarkable... Read More... Posted Sep 17 2007, 12:09 PM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with no comments Filed under: Lesbian Moms, True Mom Confessions, affairs, difficulties, confess, motherherhood

• True Mom and Dad Confessions at Strollerderby: Parents Confess to Leaving Babies Alone in House:

  Here it is—our first official weekly round up of True Mom and True Dad confessions. Read on to see what's making parents click the "me too" button on our sites...The "Hey, you're not alone in this!" or the "Yep - did that too!" cyber sentiment. This week's top five from True Mom Confessions: 135 moms gave a thumbs up to a mom who confessed to leaving her sleeping baby alone in the house while she zipped next door to her sister's house. So yes, you should let sleeping babies lie - even if they are alone in the house next door. 132 moms admitted to really getting their hands (and noses) dirty - smelly poopy bottoms and wiping snot with bare hands. 127 moms threw up their oven mits and screamed, "We are sick and tired of making dinner." 108 moms agreed that under no circumstances could you spoil a newborn. Love em up all you can. 92 moms confessed that yes, they keep the free personalized and flower festooned address labels they receive by the dozens in the mail. But no, they don't make the required donations requested for keeping said labels. This week's top five from True Dad Confessions: 60 dads clicked "yes please" to a query about the "hair down there." These guys prefer a carpet to go with the curtains. They didn't comment on a matching set...but maybe next week. 55 dads were so overwhelmed with love for their wives, they grew misty-eyed when thinking of one of them being the first to die. 46 dads did not mince words - they confessed to simply needing a good f*@ck. 43 dads hit me too to the simply statement, "There's just no me time for a dad." So true, so true. On this one, there is no battle of the sexes -- everyone needs just a few more hours in the day. Your top 5 (or just one) for the week? Posted Aug 25 2007, 10:49 AM by TrueConfessions with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: leaving children alone in cars, True Mom Confessions, true dad confessions

• Mommy's Midlife Crisis

  Today's mommies and daddies often get slammed for griping about what they give up (singing careers, all night love parties, or svelt and tight mid-sections) rather than what they have (lovely babies, sweet little toddlers, an excuse to stay in and watch bad reality TV).  One doesn't have to peruse True Mom Confessions or True Dad Confessions too deeply to quickly develop an impression that as parents, many of us are suffering (and increasingly less in silence lord help us).  So Salon's Dear Cary column, recently featuring a poor mama stuck in a small town with nary a successful whimper of a singing career to "show" for her 38 years, shouldn't come as a surprise. There are scads of dissatisfied people in the world.  Some parents.  Some not.  Kids, like anything else, can be used as an excuse not to accomplish one's dreams of being an Elvis impersonator, or famous author, or private dancer.  Kids may seem like the biggest Carey's response to the midlife crisis mama is kind and right on.  So you want to sing? Then sing!  Posted Jun 22 2007, 01:49 PM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with no comments Filed under: moms, True Mom Confessions, true dad confessions, mid-life crisis, gen X parents. sacrifice, complaining parents

• True Mom Confessions: Have You Confessed Yet?

  Here's a confession: I'm addicted! Seriously, TMC is like free therapy, Craigslist, and a good cry (or laugh, depending on the day) all rolled into one.  (In case you haven't hard, TMC is a message board where moms are flocking by the thousands, laying their souls bare, and divulging their inner most secrets, anonymously.)  Babble's own Rebecca Woolf (one of the two creators of the site) has confessed that at least a dozen of the confessions are her own.  I haven't counted, but I think I've posted as many, if not more.  Why?  If, for no other reason, than just to say it - to get it off my chest and put it out into the universe honestly, without fear of judgment, whatever "it" is.  Scrolling through the confessions, I am surprised by how many women are in unhappy marriages, how many hate their mothers-in-law, how many would give anything for a little more time to themselves.  Some of them are sad, some are hilarious, and all of them are real.  You go there, you confess, and you are heard - and often echoed by many, many others.  It's validating, not being "the only one."  It's oddly liberating. You really should try it.  Oh, and keep your eyes... I mean ears, peeled for True Mom Confessions Radio. Posted May 09 2007, 12:09 PM by Alisyn with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: moms, Rebecca Woolf, True Mom Confessions

• True Mom Confessions: You Must See This Site!

  Like PostSecret? Then you will love True Mom Confessions ("Motherhood is hard. Admit it."), brought to you by Babble's own Straight From the Bottle blogger Rebecca Woolf.  It's an anonymous list of raw, real disclosures by moms like you. And me. At least, sometimes. Care for a sample? Of course you do: *I want to just for one day give myself the credit I think I might deserve. I am tired of feeling like I suck at this. I am tired of worrying every minute of every day that I am not a good mom. I want to believe, deep in my soul, that I am and that my kids are going to be just fine. *Sometimes I let the kids make big messes in the house, just so that they'll leave me alone for five minutes. *Sometimes I wish I never had children. I love my kids but somtimes I am so envious of childless people who can just do whatever they please without a second thought. Whenever I hear someone is pregnant with their first baby, I can't help but think in my mind "Ha! Have fun...you have no idea what's in store for you" *I forgot to pick my kids up at school! *I'm sick of the fact that every conversation I have with my friend is really a competition to see who has the smarter kid. *So far, no one, not even my therapist, has been able to tell me quite how I'm supposed to reconcile the whole having a baby, and having a full-time, saving the world kind-of career, or any kind of career for that matter. I'm scared. *Sometimes I fantasize about getting in my car, driving away and never coming back. *Every so often... I masturbate while my kids nap. When they interrupt me and ask what mommy is doing... I tell them that mommy's taking a nap. And to go watch TV. Until I'm finished. Any of these strike a nerve with you? I could chime in with several of them myself. Check out the site, there's much, much more.  Posted Apr 13 2007, 05:06 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Babble, Rebecca Woolf, True Mom Confessions, Straight From the Bottle, Post Secret