The original backstory of Murphy's Law, oddly, is the opposite of the meaning it has taken on today. According to Improbable Research, it's supposed to be, "If it can happen, it will," not "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong." It was meant in a motivational sense. Not assuming everything will go wrong but planning in advance for all the things that could go wrong, so they don't.
Murphy's Law, according to Merriam-Webster, of course, is how it is used in today's society. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. There are a lot of examples of Murphy's Law in how it applies to everyday life, work life, and personal life. Like, if you plan a special picnic, it will rain. Or, when you are already running late, a train will come through and hold you up longer.
Motherhood is no stranger to Murphy's Law; as most moms can attest. In fact, motherhood might just be the backbone of Murphy's Law. While there are thousands of examples to give; here are the top 10.
10 Sitting Down
It never fails in motherhood. Just when a mom thinks she has done everything she needs to do (and then some) and she sits down to relax, her kids will need something requiring her assistance. It's a mom fact at this point. If she sits for longer than 30 seconds, her children will instantly need a drink, a snack, help looking for a toy that has been missing for over a year, or something else.
Tell them to hold on or to wait a few minutes. No. That's not how it works. Whatever her child needs will become a dire emergency in that case.
9 Dad Rules
A mom can ask their toddler to do something 50 times over and get nothing but defiance and chaotic behavior. Dad asks them to do the same thing and just like that, it's done. Then, if mom is really lucky, dad will let her know the kids aren't that hard to deal with.
There is actual science behind this one. Karen Dudley, a child-development specialist at UCLA says, the primary caregiver is generally the person with whom a child feels most comfortable expressing his/her strong feelings. Acting up may actually be a sign of how safe the child feels with you.
8 The Doctor
A child can be sick as a dog for a few days straight. Mom took them to the doctor, and it was as if they were never sick. This is nothing new for parents, but there are some reasons why this may happen. Cooks Children Hospital says:
- Time has passed. Kids can get rapidly better and rapidly worse.
- Your child's medicine has had time to kick in.
- Kids often look better in the daytime.
7 Phone Calls
It really doesn't matter where a child is or what they are doing, the second their mom gets on a phone call they will be right in front of her and as loud as can be. Why do they do this? It's pretty simple, actually. Mom has turned her attention away from her child.
A child cannot process that someone else is on a phone somewhere having a conversation with their mom. They want that attention back, so loud and wild it is.
6 Gifts
Moms can plan out the best birthday or Christmas present ever; their child will like the cardboard box it came in best. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, parents should not be offended by this. Children in the toddler stage are developing all sorts of new skills. Imagination is one of them. They can play pretend and turn that box into anything they want.
5 Potty Training
Just when a mom thinks her child has it down and doesn't bring a change of clothing, their toddler will experience explosive diarrhea. This one can just be chalked up to Murphy's Law through and through.
4 Food
A mom finds a great deal or sale on their child's favorite food and stocks up; only to find out the next day their child doesn't like that food anymore. Fear not, experts at Kids Health say these food jags don't last long. Somewhere down the line, all toddlers can be described as picky eaters. If they are only eating one certain kind of food, toddlers will eventually tire of it. This is a great time to experiment with new foods.
3 Snow Gear
After a child is all bundled up layer upon layer, it will be the time they realize they really need to use the bathroom. It happens a lot. Children have very short attention spans, even when it comes to their bladder. If they are getting dressed to go play in the snow, they are excited and focused on that at the moment, not the urgency to pee.
2 School
No matter what a child needs for that day in school, or how prepared a mother thinks she is, it won't be remembered until after the bus pulls away. This is super frustrating, but mom brain is a very real thing. Being a mom affects brain cognition, that is a scientific fact.
1 Crafts
The more time and energy a mom puts into setting up a fun craft project to do with her child, the less time they will be interested in participating in it. It is perfectly normal for toddlers to not sit still for a very long—period. Most don't like to stay in one place for long now that they can explore in so many new ways—by running, jumping, and climbing, according to Zero to Three. The idea that a mom could even get her kindergartner to sit still for more than 15 minutes is stretching it.
Sources: Merriam Webster, Improbable Research, Cooks Children Hospital, Karen Dudley, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Kids Health