This Mom's Confessions

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10 Things Moms Can Give Up For Lent

Filed Under: Being a mom, BLOG, Lent, Life in General, lists Tagged With: , ,

“Have you decided what to give up for Lent this year?”

“Nope, not yet.”

“You?”

“Nope and that would be a big fat zero here, too.”

“Well, maybe you should give up losing your temper.  You know like yelling when the kids won’t go to bed at night or clean up the toy avalanches.”

“Ha ha, you should give up nagging us all then!”

“I will give up nagging, if you give up yelling.”

Hands were then extended and a deal was subsequently brokered!

If you are Christian and not living under a rock, then you know this past week was Ash Wednesday. This is the beginning of 40 Days and 40 nights of the religious season known as Lent. See Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and culminates eight, long weeks later on Easter Sunday.

No religious education will be imparted here for the most part. But will briefly share that for the Lenten season, all Christians are supposed to give up and deny themselves of certain luxuries. This is as a form or penance or punishment for what Christ went through dying on the cross.

Simply put, it is that time of the year to give up your bad habits!

Raising my hand in the air. See I am a Christian mom, who each year struggles with what to give up for Lent.

#Moms – What will you give up for #Lent

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Thus, the above conversation that occurred between me and my ever so thoughtful husband. He offered me some much needed aid with the clever NO NAGGING for the next 8 weeks for me.

But still dying to see him keep cool with two little princesses. Because they have a penchant for making that large vein in his head throb and want to explode before most days have barely begun.

Still I have what I am giving up (thank you Kevin). But some Christian moms might still be undecided.

Are you a mom STILL struggling?

Give Up, This Mom's Confessions

10 Surefire Ideas for Moms to Give Up for Lent

1.  Eating a cold meal with each and every daily food intake, because cold must mean amazingly tasty.
2.  Replacing the toilet paper roll every time the last person to use it chooses to ignore the need to replace it.
3.  Cleaning up all sorts of catastrophic messes or taking out the garbage, because moms equal garbage person.
4.  Waking up early every morning whether you have to or not, because mornings are the best part of the day if you are under 4 feet tall.
5.  Long drawn out bedtimes that last until the wee hours of the morning with all sorts of excuses why the little tyrants kids won’t go to bed.
6.  Being interrupted while doing anything, especially once you are holding a phone in your hand.
7.  Being the keeper to lost items, because if it is lost, then mom must know where it is.
8.  Being the on-call chauffeur to all 24-7 no matter the time of the day, month or year.
9.  Mediating fights over anything you could possibly imagine under the moon and stars.
10. Battling homework getting done, because homework is cruel and unusual punishment for the little people that moms just don’t seem to understand.

I know what you are thinking.

How on earth am I going to give up these most, amazing, daily treasures that I so enjoy?

But wait, hang on she must be kidding. Plus it isn’t even April Fool’s Day, yet!

OK never mind I must be confused as this is called being mom and if we were to give any of these up they may very well take our mommy cards away!

Happy Lenten Season one and all! 

Now, where is Spring? As this mom is so over the illness, ice, freakishly cold weather and snow. Because of all this has left my kids home from school more than they actually have attended the past few weeks.

However, if I make it to Easter Sunday in one piece without nagging my whining princesses or my husband aka the scooch, who likes to cheat at Trivia Crack, I think I deserve a medal or at least a little hug!

Give Up, This Mom's Confessions

*This article also appeared in syndication with permission on Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop.

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About Janine

Janine is a published author of the books, The Mother of All Meltdowns and Only Trollops Shave Above the Knee. She has been featured on The Huffington Post, Mamapedia, Today Parenting Team and SheKnows. She also runs her own graphic design company at J9 Designs.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. emma @ be mom strong says

    Now those are some things I could give up- the garbage!! AHH! We don’t typically give anything up for Lent, but we are syncing a food experiment with Lent, so we will be giving up meat, technically!

  2. Jill says

    #2! What is it with the dang TP rolls, people?

    Seriously, love this list. I do not normally give things up for lent, but I do try to become more mindful and deliberate…which usually last 4.5 days.

    • Janine says

      Jill, thank you and I ask myself #2 way too often around here and usually at like 1 am when I should be sleeping, but refilling the damn roll, LOL!!! 😉

  5. Savanna says

    This is a nice, I could totally give those things up for Lent! I am taking a more doing, being better approach this Lenten season. In the past though, I have given up FaceBook, Pop, carbs… you name it!

    • Janine says

      I am pretty sure I would fail at Facebook massively in one day’s time, but good for you and definitely give you major props for that and more 😉

  6. Sarah (est. 1975) says

    I *still* haven’t decided what to give up for Lent and it’s starting to be late in the game. I’ll take any ideas. Except not sugar. Or caffeine. Or anything else I like. #bestcatholicever

  7. Jen says

    Haha! I am Mormon and and we don’t celebrate Lent so can I turn my Mom card in still for a few days and give up all of the suggestions on your list!

  8. Bill says

    Guess who, in our family, is the only one to replace toilet paper rolls? I don’t know why it’s so damned hard for them to replace it…I mean, it’s sitting there empty. Do they think it will magically fill itself?

    I was born and raised Catholic….today I don’t even know when Lent is. Take that, Sister Margaret!!!!!

    Happy Monday, Janine. Have a splendid day my friend.

    • Janine says

      Bill, I wish I knew why it is so hard for them and I love your shout to Sister Margaret – classic! Have an equally splendid day and Happy Monday to you, too 😉

  11. April G says

    I’m trying to give up the same thing, just being peaceful and calmer with my children. Try not to scream and yell nearly as much! We’ll see, it’s been less than a week. Oh, and alcohol… so you know it’ll be a struggle, nothing to dull the frustration.

    • Janine says

      April, I am not sure I could give up the first without some sort of alcohol to numb the craziness of it all. So, props go out to you for sure! 😉

  13. Lauren Baker Cormier says

    Ooh, that’s a hard one, although I think I’d have a harder time giving up what your hubby did!

  15. Diane Roark says

    Janine,

    You are so wise when it comes to suggesting what to give up. I am giving up the same thing I gave up for NEW YEAR’S, sweets and bread. This is the hardest thing I have every done including giving birth to twins.

    I am going to succeed. If you see me blogging about sweets, it is the ones I have made many times and love. I am not currently eating them.
    Many Blessings,
    Diane

    • Janine says

      Aww, so proud of you Diane and need to do better with my carb intake, but now I have the dreaded Girl Scout cookies in my house from Emma selling them. So, I am struggling on that truly!

  17. Karen says

    I do love #4! I told my husband that I would give up negativity. We always have this argument where I think I’m “realistic” and he sees it as negative. So I decided to work on that for Lent. It never works when I try to give up sweets or coffee. Ugh, see that’s being negative…change attitude!

    • Janine says

      Karen, I have gotten better with negativity, which when I was younger was at it’s worst for me, but still like you I totally have my moments 😉

  18. Seana Turner says

    Such a funny list, Janine. I remember how picking up the phone meant everyone suddenly needed me. Now it seems the ringing phone is a trigger for the dog to start barking! And I still blame “constant interruptions” as contributing to a heightened distractibility!

    • Janine says

      Seana, the dog barks here, too at the phone and pretty much everything. Just thankful we didn’t have her, when I had napping babies, because might have been a deal breaker! 😉

  19. Rabia @TheLiebers says

    On a whim I said I was giving up fiction. Now I really miss my books and it’s turning out to be a bigger sacrifice that I thought. Especially after all the snow we got on Saturday!!

  20. Jack says

    Someone asked me what I am giving up for Lent and I said Lent. You should have seen the look of horror on their face. Of course I didn’t mention I am Jewish. 😉

    • Janine says

      Jack, I just totally spit my drink out and seriously could also picture that look, so it made me laugh even harder if you could imagine! 😉

  21. Lisa @ The Golden Spoons says

    Ha! Can I give up all of those things??? 🙂 I haven’t chosen anything to give up for Lent. In general, I am trying to stop being so hard on myself & my physical appearance – I suppose I could try even harder and say I’m giving up insulting myself. That might be really hard though. I have a couple friends who are giving up Facebook! The horror!!!!!!! 🙂

    • Janine says

      Lisa, I am with you on Facebook and seriously it would probably kill me for a day let alone 40 days and 40 nights! But still, I think what you are giving up as you are truly an amazing lady inside and out to me!! 😉

  22. Aunt Gloria says

    Good luck keeping your Lenten promises! It will certainly be a good exercise in being aware and stopping from doing it before you do. I think they call that Behavior Modification in psychology! But then you need to give yourself a reward to make it work! Think about the reward. Lots of love…..xxoo

  24. Rosey says

    I think I’d like to give up carrying every single thing that no one else wants to carry when we’re out and about. Actually, I’d like to extend this to be a year-long thing instead of just Lent because I’m very generous that way. 🙂 #CarryYourOwnStuffFamily 🙂 😀

  25. April says

    i am going to have to take one for the team and give up number 9. Now what to do with all my free time?

    • Janine says

      Nellie, I know the cold meals I would so gladly give up and was offered a meal out for Valentine’s Day, but the kids were included in that package deal. Turned that down as seriously want kind of gift out would that be as far as hot meals go?!

  27. Chris Carter says

    Do you know that it is our NORM to leave the TP roll right on top of the old empty one. ALL. THE. TIME.

    I’ve surrendered THAT ONE!!! Lazy is as lazy does. I’m cool with it. I’ve gotten so used to it, I squeal with praise when I suddenly see a fresh roll re-attached!! And that is usually when a guest has come by, and used the bathroom. HA!

    I love love love this sooo much Janine!!!

    • Janine says

      Chris, I truly think I must start taking this one up, as no one is actually doing it anyway. Thank you so much for sharing that with me!! 🙂

  29. Dana says

    I’ll give you a hug, although it will be a bit difficult to lift up my arms with all the layers I’m wearing! I forgot it was Ash Wednesday last week until I saw a woman in the mall with dirt on her forehead. Aha – not dirt, ashes! I learned all about those in college – I was one of the few students with a clean forehead!

    • Janine says

      Dana, I will so take that little hug and as far as ashes go, I am totally going to hell as I didn’t get mine this year or last either! 😉

  32. Kenya G. Johnson says

    LOL! This was funny. I’ve finally been able to delegate trash to Christopher. I’d like to not have to remind him to do it though. But at least I don’t have to do it. He even takes the big bin to the curb and brings it back on trash day 😉

  33. Tamara says

    I do have to laugh about the toilet paper rolls because Scarlet always replaces them, I kid you not. And Cassidy is so anal. And I do it too! What a miracle. That’s our only miracle, though.
    I’d like to give up yelling.. for sure. So far, so good. I haven’t this week!

  36. Rea says

    Aww, you truly deserve that medal and a hug! Not so sure either what I want to give up. I’ve mellowed down on the nagging part unless I felt really necessary, lol. Maybe I’ll just cross the bridge when I get there. 😀

  38. Catherine Gacad says

    every lent, i give up anger so it’s very similar to nagging/yelling! i still lose my cool every so often, but i try to remember to breathe and count to 10 during this lenten season.

    • Janine says

      Thank you, y friend and will always sign you up for anything I have going as I love having you join me, my sweet friend – ALWAYS!! 🙂 <3

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