Portrait of me by my daughter "yelling about the messy playroom"
I think of myself as a pretty laid back mom, and by nature I’m not a yeller, so years back when my oldest daughter returned from art class with a portrait of me looking like a screaming maniac, I was sure there must have been a mistake. She took the class with three friends, and there was some confusion over whose portrait was whose. Three were of serene smiling mothers, and then there was this. One of the other moms actually was a yeller, so I knowingly looked around the group and told them I though there was a mix up. My daughter cleared the air by confirming that it was in fact her portrait of me yelling about the messy playroom. Of course as I slunk away I told her I loved it, and commended her on her originality. I sincerely meant both compliments, but a part of me caught the first glimpse of how she saw me through her child’s lens, and I had to laugh. Sure I am a laid back person, and I swear am not a yeller, but many a mom has caught herself losing her cool at her kids about something, and then thinking “who is this raving lunatic the kids are turning me into? This is so not me!” This portrait just may be my favorite piece of artwork that hangs in our home; it forces me to laugh at myself every time I see it.
I was harder hit a year later when in the same week my daughter brought home a family crest where I 
was represented by a mop and pail, and my son brought home a cute Mother’s Day card where he finished the sentence “My mother loves to…..” 
with “wash the dishes“.
As disheartening as these depictions of me were I knew that they were completely honest, innocent assessments. I thought back to how I viewed my own mother as a kid, and from what I remember, I was only vaguely aware of her as a woman outside of her role as my mom. The first time I recall feeling deep pride and admiration for her accomplishments was when we were writing the text for our wedding invitations, and I realized that as a Ph.D. her proper title was “Dr.” not “Mom”. I guess it took me a while, and still it wasn’t until after I had my own children that I could truly appreciate her in full. I can’t expect my kids to see me other than through the paradigm of their childish inner world. Most kids by nature are egocentric creatures. Most of the time my kids perceptions of me serve as moments of humility, but they can just as easily put me on a pedestal like no one else can. I have to laugh at the truth in their observations, because no commentary is as candid as a child’s. 
This recent portrait of me by my youngest son is a new favorite. Here he managed to capture the essence of me in the morning with perfection. Certainly this is how I feel before that first cup of coffee. The funny ones are my favorites, but every now and then a piece of art comes home that just melts my mommy heart into a puddle, and that is the power of kids art.
(I had to throw in this one where I am listed as 6' tall and 100 pounds)
Adorable artwork but it is sometimes “scary’ what comes out of their mouths or what they draw. I experienced the same thing when artwork got brought home from school.
Great post!!! I don’t even want to think about what the kids think of me right now. It’s bad. I need to take a step back. When I get stressed it comes out in frustration and it’s not good. My portrait would definitely be a yeller and they would say My Mom is on the computer. BAD!!! =( You are a GREAT mom!!! I don’t know how you are so patient with having 4 kids. SUPER MOM!!! =)
Thanks Kristin!You are so kind!
Aw-I love this post! Hayley just made a stick figure of me for moms day with a big smile. It made me feel so good! I love all their artwork:)
Awesome to learn how our kids view us! I swore I’d never sound like my mother… I do I do I do… I’m working on that!
<3 the artwork!!
Once I gave my three year old a disposable camera on a trip, there were lots of low angle shots of my bottom since that was the view when he followed me, also lots of table edges because they hit right at eye level. It was hilarious, also I had to dispose of those unflattering shots of my backside!
Love your BLOG Elizabeth!So true! I’m always conflicted about this. On the one hand, since I work- i want them to remember me as being around and available (instead of distracted and stressed which is how I feel at times). On the other, I want them to realize that I have a life outside the home – so they realize it’s something we women do ?? Not sure what’s best!
Thanks Margaret! The funny thing with my tween now is the more I try to convince her I am somehow savvy, the more tragically uncool I seem become in her eyes!
Those are so cute! My kids aren’t yet to that age, but I can just imagine what they’ll say and draw. We don’t have kids so we can raise them. We have kids so they can raise us.
I don’t consider myself as a yeller. I’m pretty laid back too. But one day my oldest daughter told me to stop yelling & I told her I wasn’t yelling. So I figured it out. Everytime I tell her “no”, she says I’m yelling even though i talk in the same tone of voice. I think it’s all in the preception.
Stopping by from the Laugh Blog Hop!
http://ziggysblogs.blogspot.com
Don’t you hate that, because by the time you are done insisting that you are not yelling you are yelling “THIS IS WHAT YELLING SOUNDS LIKE!” in a frustrated tone. LOL!
Thanks for linking up my friend! I absolutely love this post!!
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