Now There is a Name for It
Mom Distraction Disorder, or M.D.D, is the term I have come up with to help me explain and to feel better about my general lack of common sense or organization on some most days.
You might suffer from this, too. The good news is this is a common disorder among my fellow moms, so you are not alone. The bad news is I’ve not yet discovered the cure. And this disorder can lead to many embarrassing situations.
It’s No Wonder it Happens
When we are so busy raising our little people and dealing with the ups and downs that they throw at us, sometimes our brains seem to disappear.
I know you feel me, here.
It begins with pregnancy (yes, scientists have proven that your brain actually shrinks during pregnancy). But this disorder continues on for years. And years.
I used to be able to blame my M.D.D. on lack of sleep. However, for the past three years I no longer can use this excuse. Yet, it hasn’t seemed to improve.
In fact, I am proof that you might not ever be efficient as you once were ever AGAIN. That you might not ever function on the same level that you did before children. Now, I understand that this is just a side effect of having children and a crowded, pre-occupied mind.
We Are Multi-Tasking Masters in a Noisy World
Moms are constantly thinking of everything they must do on a daily basis to take care of their families, the household obligations, relationships with friends and others. Plus, we hopefully are thinking of and doing the things necessary to take care of ourselves.
Then, there is the noise factor. My children always seem to be fighting, squabbling, yelling, or whining, so I literally can not hear myself think when they are around! Is it any wonder that sometimes I am simply way off in the game called life?
Below are some of the signs you, too, might be suffering from M.D.D.—a distracted, perhaps spacey, true mom.
Do These Symptoms Sound Familiar to You?
- Gone out in public with one black shoe and one brown
- Worn your shirt inside out for a day
- Put juice in your coffee and creamer in the sippy cup
- Called your children by the wrong names, including your pet’s name
- Shouted the kids’ names down the stairs when they are standing right in front of you
- Gone to do some laundry, only to realize you had the same idea days ago and now have a wet, mildewed smelling mess to deal with first
- Burned things you were baking; If you do not set a timer, you forget that you are even baking something
- Texted a reply to a friend, forgot to send it, and then wondered for days why you never heard back from them
- Wrote numerous to-do lists or grocery lists with the same things written down because you misplaced the other lists
- Gone to the grocery store, forgotten what you really need, and returned home with your 8th can of diced tomatoes because you thought you didn’t have any
- Searched for your cell phone only to discover you were talking on it
- Thought about a friend’s or family member’s birthday for weeks, then spaced out the actual day
- Forgot you were eating or drinking something, or completely lost the cup or plate you were using
- Shown up a week early for a girls’ night out. Guess you was really looking forward to it!
- Discovered your keys in the toy box or in the fridge
- Waited for 10 minutes in a drive through lane behind a parked car or better yet, waited in the line of employee parking spots, right next to the drive through lane
- Drove off with the bank teller canister after you made a deposit
I *might* have suffered through one or 17 of the above M.D.D. symptoms. How about you? What are some of the embarrassing, crazy things that you have done under the influence of children?
You are not alone in this. Your head may be seem empty sometimes, but that is because your life is so full!
