Romi Lassally: Q&A

When her 6-year-old son threw up all over the carpet, Romi Lassally didn't race for the paper towels. Instead, she left it on the floor, hoping the dog would eat it. After telling the story to a friend, Lassally decided to create an online forum, TrueMomConfessions.com, which has since become a popular sounding board for moms admitting secrets both serious (''I went back to work so that I would yell at my coworkers instead of my son'') and funny (''I hate Elmo. I wish Big Bird would peck him to death''). Now Lassally has compiled some of the best comments from the site into a new book, True Mom Confessions: Real Moms Get Real. ''We feel like we're so alone with our shortcomings,'' Lassally says. ''And we're not.''

Is there a confession that's most commonly posted?
Escape fantasies. Dark ones like ''I dream of something happening to my husband so I get the life insurance money.''

Do you ever feel like calling 911?
When we get the rare confessions from women at their wit's end, we pummel them with resources as much as we can.

You have three children of your own. Have they seen the book?
My 11-year-old read it. She asked me, ''What does 'stoned' mean?'' Those were some teachable moments.

Have any parents complained?
Oh, yeah. The critics say we're bad mommies and we're proud of it.

How do you respond to them?
I say, F--- you. No, I'm kidding. I say, ''We all make bad choices, we think bad thoughts, but we're not bad mothers.'' I think just having the conversation is crucial. Hopefully it will lead to a new ethos for parents and for women.