Five Places that are Designed to Drive Moms Crazy

Moms have the hardest job in the world, and I do not say that only because I am a mom. However, I am a mom. I have four kids. My oldest is turning 7 this summer, my ‘middle’ is turning 4 next month and my twins are turning 1 next month. For the past 7 years, my husband and I have been parenting in a way that makes us feel pretty good. We’re relaxed and easy-going. Our kids are well-behaved and rarely make us insane in public. We like to take the kids out and have a good time with them as a family, but there are some places that – no matter how hard you try – just make you crazy. They are designed to make you crazy. They are designed to turn parents into raging nightmare monsters because someone didn’t have the decency to think about how they were going to design this place to make it as convenient as possible. And there are the five places that were clearly designed by people who hate parents and want them miserable.

Public Restrooms

As a whole, these are gross – for all people. And that’s not the designers fault. However, try being an expectant mother who has to use the bathroom and finding that you can’t get into the stall or out of it. I’m not a big person. I am petite and very small, and I literally had a basketball in my stomach during my pregnancies. And it was impossible for me to use anything but handicap stalls because the doors open inward, and you can’t get a stall door open inward when your belly is in the way. Also – try taking a kid in there with you. Impossible.

Parking Lots

As a whole, all parking lots should be covered so that moms and dads can get their kids in and out of the car without worrying about the weather. It’s hard when it’s raining and you have no choice but take the kids to the pediatrician because they are sick (sicker now that you had to get them all out of the car in the pouring rain).

Public Parks

Again, it’s not the designers fault these are germ-laden locations, but it is their fault that the bathroom is 2 miles from the swing and you have to drag every kid you have off the toys and to the bathroom – screaming – because one has to use the bathroom and you can’t see them in the restroom and your kids on the toys at the same time.

Grocery Store Aisles

They are absolutely designed so that parents will lose their mind. You cannot go anywhere without the kids seeing something they want. Like candy at checkout, a cookie at the bakery, a balloon in line. Toys from the machines on the way out the door. It’s just a headache and a half. And also, there is always only one lane open and 79 people standing in front of you.

Supermarkets without Double Carts

This is more a problem for parents of multiples. But when you’re shopping with two kids the same size – you need somewhere to put them. And it’s not always easy to find a cart like this in places, and that makes us crazy. I have four kids. They don’t make a cart that big, ever. But it’s hard enough to put the twins somewhere when I need to go in. And only so much fits into the double stroller.

Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images