As almost any mom will tell you, you really do get stupider after having children. The inability to remember simple facts, words, details, forgetting a myriad of items in various places (church, school, playgrounds, other people's homes). I have always thought it has something to do with the hormone changes one goes through during and after pregnancy. Maybe the precipitous drop in progesterone after delivery zaps all of your brain cells?
Or maybe the exhaustion of taking care of a child all day or having your sleep constantly interrupted creates this phenomenon. Or maybe MB is a result of watching too much Curious George, Barney, Teletubbies or Caillou.
All of these things may have a hand in MB. However, my newest theory is that MB is caused by the sheer volume of things that a mom has to remember just to make it through each day. Not only does she have to remember to eat, bathe, dress, and make sure she is where she needs to be, she needs to do the exact same things to X number of children in her household. Whereas a father may feel comfortable waltzing out of the door with his keys, wallet and cell phone, a mother is often struggling to get out of the door, laden down with a 20 lb diaper bag, (in addition to a 20 lb child), after having made sure it contained any of the following:
- diapers
- wipes
- change of clothes
- burp cloths
- snacks
- sippy cup(s)
- a variety of toys
- bottle
Moms also have to remember when the last time their children ate, what they ate, when they are due for another snack, when their diaper was last changed, what time they woke up from their nap, what time their next nap should be, where the pacifiers are located, when is the last time her kid went to the potty, shall I go on?
That's just to make it through the day-to-day. And that doesn't include anything having to do with herself! So, in conclusion, I don't think that MB is actually because said mother is stupider -- more that there are 100x more things on her mind than there used to be...
3 comments:
Thanks for this post! It made me smile :)
It's so true! Our minds are so full of details is it often hard to do anything else. I'm often embarrassed after I have a conversation with someone with my girls around and later realize that I was not listening very well at all. But... I take heart remembering that all these details, even the very small ones, matter a whole lot. Good job remembering it all!
And way to have a blog! I had no idea you started one. I'm glad I read your reference to it on facebook!
p.s. I made calzones with Lucy again today and thought of you. :)
Welcome to my blog Ann! So glad you came over :) Glad you continue to enjoy the calzones -- we have to make those again soon!
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