Making lists

We've all heard about working mom guilt. I've always felt the discussion around that was a little over the top. I remember watching some news magazine show on TV, and one mom confessed that she stayed up late at night making cookies from scratch, because "that's what moms are supposed to do."
I never felt the need to do stuff like that (unless on a Sunday afternoon, the kids and I decide to make cookies together). Maybe part of the reason is that I was a stay at home mom before. There's no magic formula that once you stay at home, you'll become some sort of Stepford wife. And the truth is, I don't feel the need to be one. In my own crazy way, I do what I need to. My kids eat home cooked meals, I managed to keep the house from falling apart, and on the weekends we go out and enjoy time together. I see my kids are happy and they're healthy. I do not have working mom guilt.
There is one thing, and of course you knew a caveat was coming didn't you? I constantly beat myself up every time I forget something regarding the kids. Now I'm not talking about big things like their birthdays. But as any parent of school age kids know, schools constantly have programs, and YOU have to remember to send stuff with them to school.
Last week, I forgot to send my son a lunch. Summer camp normally provides it, but they wanted parents to send a sack lunch so they could have a picnic outside. The teacher said the school would give my son lunch. And then yesterday, I remembered at the last minute, I had signed up to bring shredded cheese to my daughter's class for a project. So I had to run to the store, pick some up and drop it off (all before 8am).
I have a planner, but sometimes, these things fall through the cracks. I hate it when I say, oh I forgot, the look the teachers give me. It makes me feel like I'm a negligent mom, or irresponsible. Or maybe that's just my own version of working mom guilt coming through. But guilt isn't productive. It's something paralyzing. So I continue making my to do lists, and trying to keep everything on track.