‘I’m A Much Better Mom Now That My Kid Spends Every Other Week At Her Dad’s’

From little niceties like trading small talk with the cashier at the grocery store to the big moments, like getting married or being the keynote speaker at your company’s annual conference, life is one long string of talking to and with other people. And when you’re a parent, it can often feel easier to reach your max tolerance — kids have a way of sucking up all the energy you may otherwise devote to socialization (have kids, they said; it’ll be fun, they said). So, sometimes we feel stress big time over our daily interactions with others.

So seems to be the theme of this week’s roundup of confessions from real-life moms. For one mom, that means realizing that, hey, getting a break from your kids can actually make you a better parent. For others, it’s trying to figure out how to distance themselves from their in-laws or, well, just being annoyed with their partners. Keep reading to see which peopling problems you relate to the most.

Scary Mommy Confessions are a tried-and-true part of what makes our site so fun. If you want to anonymously confess, look for our weekly callouts on Instagram. And to browse past Confessions, head here.