Mommy Morning Guilt

Mornings.. Before I was a mom it was difficult to get myself out of bed, dressed and off to work in the morning. Now when that alarm goes off I have the same reaction but a much longer to do list. I get up walk the dog, feed the dog, prepare lunch for my child, plan breakfast, get my child up and dressed, make 2 beds, feed my child, pack their backpack and somehow try to make myself semi-presentable. That is my to do list every morning and although I always think I will be running late I always manage to get it all done somehow. Now that you know my to do list let me share my child's who is going into first grade this year. Get up, eat. Yet somehow those 2 tasks seem enormous to them and daily I find myself getting a preview of the teenage years.  This morning after making my child a beautiful breakfast of eggs, fresh strawberries and a muffin (all their favorites) to start their day on a positive note by doing something nice for them I was greeted by the normal mantra of "mommy you are not the boss of me!" and my all time favorite line of "I am not going to eat and you can't make me." Then after packing their favorite lunch which they ate happily in the past I am greeted with a "yuck." and "how could you pack that for me." Wow!  Well if this was an unusual experience I would attribute their behavior to it being a Tuesday, the heat, the time, is there a full moon?  But it is not unusual.  I have asked for solutions from my mommy friends whose answers have ranged to "not them, they are too sweet to do that" to "my child would never do that" (really?) to "ignore them and let them starve"-thanks to the friend who helps me with that, she is my mommy hero-she knows who she is. While taking all of those suggestions into consideration I still feel so bad if I send my child off for a long day at school or a camp without having them eat breakfast and also in a bad mood. Yes I know that is their choice to behave that way but they forget about the morning's events five minutes after I send them off for a fun day at school or camp and I am left with mommy morning guilt. So although I know right now my child is having a wonderful fun day I am having a day of guilt. My child's guilt is absolved and will be forgotten when they see me later today. My guilt will probably not be resolved until tomorrow morning at this same time after breakfast.