<p>I have heard stories about moms cutting their ( adult) dinner companions meat for them, spitting on their finger and rubbing a friends smudged face, and carrying around everything but the kitchen sink in their bags, just in case it was needed, but my kids have been pretty big for a while now, so I thought my reflexes were gone.
But last night, when I was at an outdoor mall ( with heavy traffic) I noticed a dad with about 4 kids, the youngest about 3 or 4. We were going same direction, but the kids were running all over. The traffic at the mall, isn’t generally very attentive, it is close to a major university, and college kids don’t always pay attention to pedestrians.
As we approached the crossing, the little one started to charge out into the street, but the dad, was back aways trying to herd the other ones. So I said “stop!” loud enough for the little boy to hear, and while he stopped, it kind of startled/scared him.
I turned to the dad and apologized for yelling at his kid, but that it was a reflex. Then I noticed that the dad was Dan Wilson ( a retired- longtime pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, who in fact I have been a big fan of for years, and even had contributed money to his favorite charity in order to get a picture taken with him-)
:o
I have to admit though- that it was reasurring that one of the calmest, most mature and responsible people in major league sports, could be human. If I had to take 4 little kids out in public, I probably would have tied them together!*</p>
<p>I have it too. While I’m driving when I come to a quick stop my right arm instinctively reaches out to protect the passenger even if it’s an adult. I did it for so many years with my kids that it’s an ingrained mom reflex.</p>
<p>Also, while holding a baby I kind of rock side to side with a little bounce. This is due to many sleepless nights with a colicky baby :O</p>
<p>I was in my mid-twenties, and had just been promoted to supervisor of a division, also in the middle of toilet training D. </p>
<p>I was at work, in a meeting with several persons, including my boss who had just promoted me, but also including some people who were older, in competition with me for the promotion, and somewhat miffed that they didn’t get chosen, and, my boss’s boss, who (I learned later) was opposed to her choice to promote me to the supervisory position, and who I did not know, and wanted very badly to impress. My boss was sitting with her legs crossed, and at one point began swinging one of her legs back and forth, the way people do when they’re having urgent issues - anyway, imagine my horror when this came out of my mouth: “do you need to go potty?”.</p>
<p>My boss was sitting with her legs crossed, and at one point began swinging one of her legs back and forth, the way people do when they’re having urgent issues - anyway, imagine my horror when this came out of my mouth: “do you need to go potty?”</p>
<p>OMG! too funny:o</p>
<p>I haven’t done that, but I have reminded ( adults) to go to the bathroom before we set out to do something else. ( I stopped short of telling them to wash their hands)</p>
<p>My Mom reflex manifests itself as constant looking and cooing at other people’s babies. The smaller the baby, the better. I’ve become one of these scary middle-aged ladies who peek into strangers’ strollers and reach out with a helping hand to a shaky toddler just learning to walk. When I get to hold a baby, I can’t help but stroke the head, kiss the feet. And at the sight of a newborn, my eyes literally mist over. It is quite embarrasing to my teenage children, and even more alarming to my H.</p>
<p>Younger S has accused me of being an uber-mom, even to our cat. And I can’t help but want to feed anyone in my vicinity. (Not literally, as in spoon feeding, just in terms of making sure they have something to eat.)</p>
<p>At a hobby club meeting the other night, I was running a raffle for a free 1-year membership. I needed to get the names of all people present who were not already members. I approached one guy and inquired as to whether he was already a member. He paused briefly then answered, “Yes.” </p>
<p>Something about the slight hesitation set off my mom-dar. Before I knew it, I asked him if he was telling the truth. He looked at me like I was nuts and with his palms up, he asked, “Why would I possibly lie about this?” We both laughed and I apologized. I told him that I was accustomed to dealing with teenaged boys and there was something in the way he answered that caught my attention and made me suspicious. (It was as if he was considering which answer was more likely to result in me assigning him a chore or command…along the lines of asking a TV-watching teen “are you done with your homework” or “are you busy right now?”.)</p>
<p>For the rest of the meeting, every time we made eye contact we both cracked up.</p>
<p>My D is now 21 and I still absolutely jump when I hear a tiny baby cry. It’s amazing that after all these years, my body is ready to fly into action and go take care of the baby.</p>
<p>And I still turn toward the voice when I hear a little one call, “Mom!” in the store, even though mine are also much older and not even in the area.</p>
<p>“And I still turn toward the voice when I hear a little one call, “Mom!” in the store, even though mine are also much older and not even in the area.”</p>
<p>That is a reflex you ought to keep! In health class they taught us to always obey our reflexes to yell “Mom!” if we were being hurt in a public place, because all parents will respond to that! And everyone else will too, because when someone yells Mom you immediately think of a child in distress.</p>
<p>I have been driving by a bus stop of middle school kids and noticed them throwing things – small sticks or berries – in the street. I’ve stopped the car, rolled down the window and yelled at them to cut it out because they could cause someone to crash. My D has sunken from view in horror.</p>
<p>Has anyone else ever told a group of teenagers to watch their language? I have been know to comment that it’s not appropriate, but I’m sure I should cut it out.</p>
<p>I have been known to extend my right arm over the passenger in the front seat, if I happen to stop suddenly. I have had friends in that spot, who do laugh a bit.</p>
<p>We’ve trained all of our cats to be held on their backs like babies and be cuddled! <em>blush</em> And with regard to food, think “uber mom” meets “Jewish mom”! :eek:</p>
<p>I also exhibit most of the other mom reflexes mentioned above, 'cept I’ve never asked an adult if she has to “go potty”!!! <strong><em>ROFLMAO</em></strong>, LTS!!</p>
<p>My youngest is now 9. I still automatically tell the others to grab his hand anytime we park the car and get out. Finally, my oldest caught me saying, “watch the baby, grab his hand.”, and reminded me that when he was 9 he was grabbing the other kids and watching out for him, and that maybe it was time the “baby” grew up a little.</p>