I’m Not a MommyJoiner, But…
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RSS FeedI have always been afraid of other moms. I don’t know why. I had an image of them being the stereotypical soccermom-browniebaking-PTAparticipating women I can’t identify with. Maybe I was afraid I’d see my own shortcomings if I saw how other mothers deal with parenting.
But then I met Toni. Divorced mother of two, she throws her kids in the jacuzzi for a bath sometimes, doesn’t always require car seats, and has a pet snake. Can’t do much more to break my idea of what other mothers are like.
Then I met other mommybloggers, like Miss Britt, Modern Mami (Melanie) and Morningside Mom (Caroline). They’re super cool chicks (not a term I tend to use when it comes to moms) who are like me: flawed, loving, and not only mothers. They’re bloggers, they’re tweeters, they’re women who like to say bad words and have a few drinks.
So my vision of what other moms are like has been shattered, I am happy to say. I have someone to complain about Max to, share in funny parenting stories, and remember that I am many things, mama included.
4 Comments
1.
Melanie (Modern Mami) commented on February 23, 2009 at 7:57 am
Susan, I had much the same ideas in my head about moms. So glad to be “one of the [super] cool chicks”.
2.
admin commented on February 24, 2009 at 1:42 pm
You definitely are one of the [super] cool chicks. Seriously. I’m ok with (some) moms now!
3.
hulamom commented on February 24, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I know exactly what you mean! I’ve always been a working mom (PR) and never felt comfortable with those stay-at-home “super moms” who think they are superior to me. Truth be told, I don’t know how anyone in Hawaii can afford to stay home with their kids. We are a two-income family and barely get by! Anyway, I finally got over it and decided that I’m not reliving high school. I wasn’t a joiner then (but I wasn’t an outcast either) and I sure as heck don’t need to be accepted by these grown up mean girls. You see this a lot with athletic teams or at the school PTA. I volunteer but I do it on my terms. I’m extremely organized and very connected in the business community so I can get things done for my sons’ school or teams without having to sit through long meetings or lunching with the ladies! I happen to be a terrific baker and have been known to sell the most homemade cookies at the school bake sale every year so don’t tell me that working moms can’t excel on the domestic homefront. Also, my boys are not delinquents nor do they lack love and support. More power to women like us! Sorry for the rant but stay-at-home vs. working mom really bugs the crap out of me.
4.
admin commented on February 24, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Hulamom–
Just know that there are other women like you. That’s what has amazed me. I really built up my own perceptions w/o having a full understanding.
And I work from home and get the “Oh! Does Max stay home with you?” bit. No he does not. If he did, I wouldn’t get any work done and we would be at each other’s throats. So never feel you have to defend your choice.