Confessions of a Woo Mom
My high school experience did not include cheering on my classmates under the Friday night lights. I definitely was a choir girl who dabbled in Improv and mostly just spent time socializing with my three best gal pals. We were -so- cool that we actually gave our friend group an insanely creative name–The Quad. I was certainly not “popular” by any means, and I was totally okay with that fact. I actually recall a dubious duo of beefy football players shoving me into a locker once or twice, too (wonder if I will see those two fabulous fellas at my 20 year reunion next month…).
This is not a “woe is me” tale. Though I will take a moment to digress and say: if you happen to have an outcast, perhaps even “weird” middle/high schooler and are worried about them missing out on going to the big game, that’s normal for you as a parent. But I can assure you that this weird kid got through middle and high school just fine, and with my weirdness intact. I also gained a strong sense of self and resilience that has served me well in adulthood. So if your student is content with who they are, go ahead and embrace their little quirks, unique interests, and their oddball friend groups! Okay, back to the main point of this tale. Parenting can change you in ways you never expected and could never anticipate.
So here it goes. My confession. Although, if you have been to one of my kid’s games, you already know… because you have already heard it.
I am a woo mom.
Yep. I went from never going to a football game my whole time in high school to never missing one of my kid’s games at that very same stadium. And not only am I there, I am loud and unapologetic. I suppose seeing my kids hard work and excitement on display during a game just brings out the woo in me. Yes, I woo for my kids, but their teammates, too. And if that teammate is a particular close friend of my child’s, well they get an extra loud “Ow owwww!”. When it comes down to it, my interest in my children far outweighs my dis-interest in football, so much to the point that I now am interested in football!
My school pride as an actual student was nil. I had maybe one outfit that had the school mascot on it, and that was the school-issued gym shirt and shorts. Now? I’ve supported Etsy stores galore by purchasing custom shirts with my kids numbers and “Ciani” on the back (in glitter, even). Fellow sports moms, let me know if I should go ahead and invest in a Cricut machine (or hey, if Cricut wants to send me a sample for review, I. am. in.).
Did I anticipate being a woo mom? Goodness, no. Did I think my little babies would become these beasts on the field? Also, never. But here we are. They got bigger, begged to play and now I, too, have changed. Parenting is such a journey and it certainly causes a person to evolve. Whatever your kids do… improv to football and beyond… just be sure to show up and show your support. Woos optional.
