Confess and Win

Author and mom Romi Lassally knows motherhood isn’t all smiling babies and roses. She’s compiled an entire bookful of funny, embarrassing, and outrageous admissions from moms all over the world, snack-sized bites of motherhood that may both help moms learn to laugh at themselves and send prospective parents running.

Better yet, Romi’s friend Brett Berk, aka “The Gay Uncle,” is giving away three copies of the book at his site. “All you have to do,” he says, “is confess to the most humiliating thing you’ve ever done to, with, at, or around your kid in your role as parent. Points will be given for originality, grotesqueness, and sheer chutzpah. The contest will run through the weekend.” Leave a comment on his site with your entry.

I’ll also point readers to Romi’s site Truu Confessions, where you can contribute anonymous confessions on motherhood, relationships, work, and other matters.

A little story about that site, in fact: A few weeks ago, Romi contacted me about her new book. When I went to her site, the image for the “Wife” category was a yellow diamond sign (like a road sign) with man and woman icons on it. I suggested she use something more inclusive, like a wedding cake or rings. Lo and behold, she goes the extra mile and now has an ambiguous photo of two women who could either be straight friends having a chat or married (legally or not) lesbians. Here’s to an ally who gets it.

I’m sure she’d love confessions from lesbian moms, whether on general parenting matters or lesbian-specific ones. Examples (completely fictitious, to the best of my knowledge): “I reset all the clocks in the house to get the kids to bed early the night of the L Word finale.” “After the guy next to us at a restaurant asked, ‘Who’s the real mom?’ I dumped salt in his coffee when he got up to use the restroom.”