In Defense of Mom Jeans, No Matter the Size

Do You Own a Pair of Mom Jeans?

Oh, no!  The dreaded mom jeans!  

Do you own a pair?  

I do, and here is why I'm proud to "rock the mom jeans"!  

They aren't size 5, or even a size 10, although "mom jeans" do come in those sizes and some of my best friends wear them!  These mom jeans are filled with legs that have stood the test of time.

The Legs in These Mom Jeans Have:

~ Helped build tents, forts, cars, and space galaxies, all within the confines of the living room

~ Witnessed tantrums that could make your eye-cross, your toes curl and your straight hair go wavy

~ Helped kids bury the goldfish and say good-bye to a beloved dog

~ Helped find lost homework, misplaced shoes and permission slips that were two days past due

~ Done battle (on multiple occasions) with a punitive educator, whose unkind ways and spiteful tactics reflect more of what she likely experienced in her own life than what she intended to pass on to others

~ Made homemade playdough, paste and tub-paints, then scrubbed and picked it all off of furniture, out of hair, and off of walls when all the fun was over

~ Learned to forgive, so they could teach the smaller legs around them to do the same

The Legs in These Mom Jeans Have:

~ Paced the floors with a colicky baby (2 out of 3 times!)

~ Presided over stuffy noses, nebulizer treatments and boo-boos big and small

~ Dispensed every kind of medication known to man, at all hours of the day and night

~ Lived on 4, 3, 2, 1 or LESS hours of sleep at any given point in time

~ Sat through stitches for all 3 kids (two times each!)

~ Made a 6-hour trip in an ambulance alongside a very ill and screaming infant who could not be fed in case medical tests had to be run

~ Held hands with a teeny-tiny person through MRIs, blood tests, EKGs and CT Scans

~ Developed secret "hand squeezing codes" to use with said kid, when we were unable to speak to each other during aforementioned tests

~ Dried tears, wiped bottoms and wiped the slate clean after emotional blowouts (usually the kids', not mine!)

~ Stood vigil at the hospital bedside of more than one sick kid, including joining one in an oxygen tent (er, inter-galactic space capsule!)

These Legs in These Mom Jeans Have:

~ Whipped up a mean batch of cupcakes at a moment's notice

~ Ridden with a bus full of screaming kids to various field trip destinations

~ Fed an entire baseball, hockey and football team (although not all at the same time, and not necessarily in that order)

~  Logged more hours on the bleachers than should probably be counted

~ Stood long hours in the driving rain, huddled under a rain poncho, in order to watch a game in its entirety

~ Cheered teams on to victory and supported them through defeat

~ Soothed angry feelings and bruised egos

The Legs in These Mom Jeans Have:

~ Supported other moms through illnesses, new babies and heartbreak

~ Stood by helplessly, as other moms buried their babies, their kids, their grown children...and prayed for all of them, whether they thought it would help or not

~ Taken a stand: against bullying, against racism, against social injustice

~ Have known heart-wrenching pain and inexplicable joy

The Legs in These Mom Jeans Have:

~ Stood their ground

~ Advocated for all kids

~ Refused to settle for second best

~ Accepted reality, even when it wasn't the desired outcome

~ Fallen to their knees in prayer

~ Chosen to believe in, hold out for, and seek the best in everyone.

The Legs in These Mom Jeans

~ Have seen quite a lot, and they have every intention of seeing much more.

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not

to falter; I have made missteps along the way.

But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill,

one only finds that there are more hills to climb.

I have taken a moment here to rest,

to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me,

to look back on the distance I have come.

But I can rest only for a moment,

for with freedom come responsibilities,

and I dare not linger,

for my long walk is not yet ended."

~Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

I'll walk that walk happily, in my "mom jeans"!

What about you? 

What have the legs in your mom jeans done? 

We'd love to hear about it! 

P.S. As mentioned, my "mom jeans" are not a size 5 or 10... though they once were...and I'm working on getting back to my healthiest self RIGHT HERE. If your mom jeans are not your healthiest size, I hope you'll join us at The Plated Point, where we dish all things healthy and uplifting. I believe in YOU and ME and ALL of us...I even believe in those that don't believe in us back. We've all got this! Come find us HERE!

Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD, is  the founder of Kidlutions and co-author of BLOOM: 50 Things to Say, Think and Do with Anxious, Angry and Over-the-Top Kids. She is the creator of the online parenting program The Joyful Parent numerous workbooks and resources to help from the preschool through the teen years. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! She'd love to see your smiling face there! To get all of our FREEBIE downloads from the past (and future) by joining our free mailing list. Go HERE to join! Affiliate links may be used in this post. Please see our full disclaimer, located at the top of our page for more information.