10 Ways to Make a Mama Happy

Alternate titles included: “When You’re Good to Mama, Mama’s Good to You” – Chicago the Musical, “Happy Wife, Happy Life” by every smart man who’s ever lived and “If Mama Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy” by whoever thought ain’t didn’t fall in a bucket of paint.

Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m a very happy girl. Rob really knows how to butter me up…literally, tonight he buttered the bread of my grilled cheese so it was ready to throw on the stove when I got home. He didn’t want to make it and let it get cold waiting for my arrival. It’s the little things, am I right? While he isn’t Mr. Perfect 100% of the time, I don’t think it’s for lack of trying. He just doesn’t think like a woman, which is kind of why I like him. And while I realize that the audience of this blog is about .01male, maybe the ladies who read it can print this post off and leave it lying around the house accidentally on purpose.

Without further ado, I give you my top 10.

1) Tell us we look nice. After baby makes three, moms have little time for makeup and hair. On the off chance that we have enough time to complete not one, but BOTH of these things, please notice and say something. “Wow dear, you look hott,” will do.

2) Stop taking turns. Just because you changed the last diaper doesn’t mean you can’t change the current one. Even if it’s not your night to get up with the crying baby, surprise us and do it anyway. Doing without asking equals major bonus points.

3. The women’s movement brought us a long way, but chocolate and flowers (I prefer fake plants) will always bring you a long way.

4. Come home early every once in a while. We don’t mind if you do your own thing with the guys, but staying for “just one more” every time means there’s someone waiting for you that much longer.

5. Watch a girly show with us and try not to complain too much. I watch a lot of masculine TV…Entourage, Southland, Rescue Me, Pawn Stars, etc, but I love it when Rob watches and comments on an episode of Project Runway or Kendra. To me it’s his way of saying, ‘I’ll tolerate some reality TV in the name of love.’

6. Force us to get out of the house without the babychild. We moms have an innate ability to feel guilty, bad, whatever you wanna call it about leaving our babies. (You don’t see daddy bears ever killing someone for getting to close to their cubs. It’s always the mama bears). Anyway, sometimes we feel like it’s too much of a hassle and inconvenience to call a babysitter. If you did it for us and didn’t take no for an answer from us, we’d have no choice but to get away. (I’m starting to see why men don’t get women).

7. Learn to pack the diaper bag. I know I start stressing when we’re running late and I still haven’t packed everything it takes to get Faith out the door. I would ask Rob to do it, but last time I did that we went to the Farmer’s market without a pacifier and drove home in tears. Me included.

8. Take a load off…our brains. Someone told me women are like an encyclopedia while men are more like a brochure. I couldn’t agree more. At any given moment, I could list the groceries in the fridge and pantry, rattle off the approximate number of diapers in the house and tell you whose birthdays are coming up this week. It would be nice not to have to think about what’s for dinner some nights. And if it’s not too much to ask, incorporating a vegetable into your meal plan would really help us feel good about ourselves 🙂

9. Listen to us. Sure a few things are allowed to go in one ear and out the other, but when accompanied by words like “birthday”…”want”…”Christmas”…..and “musthave,” try to tune in.

10. Keep on keepin’ on. If you did all of these things on a regular basis, a guy would have to move to Utah and embrace polygamy because sister wives be wanting a piece of that. I know I personally can be hard to live with and somewhat of a….oh, shall we say….ball buster. But I can be worth it too. So stick with me. And if you can find the time to work in 1-9, it’ll make for one happy mama! Please see below!

Blast from the Picture Past!