From politicians taking sides on the SAHM/Working mom "war" to everyone with a Twitter account weighing in on celebrity mom advice and recent parenting books, I feel like much of the country is over-analyzing what it is I do every day.
Surprisingly, the only time I don't hear anyone talking about these things is when I'm with other moms. I don't think that this in any way says we don't care about issues like the price of day care or whether we're raising babies to feel secure. But on a day-to-day basis, the moms I know are too busy to get caught in the media hype. The frenzy around some of these topics reminds me of high school dramatics -- like the time I cried when I saw my yearbook picture. Surely the fact that this lasting portrait was so hideous was worth getting excited over...at least for a day. After that it was time to focus on the actual fact of graduating.
That's how I feel now: I need to get on with the business of raising my kids. I don't really have the energy to spend on debating whether that person over there is more right than the other person over here. I believe that the time I spend today planning activities and talking with my toddler is going to do more good in the world than anything else. To those who say that I should be concerned about reinventing modern motherhood to be more fair to moms, more effective for children, and more fun for all: I agree. But I am going to start with my own house. Today we're breaking out the playdough (with all the accessories) and turning everyday junk around the house into toddler "toys."
What little ways do you find joy in motherhood? Share your stories with the rest of our readers.
I agree. I think the media has the luxury of the time to dissect of of the issues of parenthood without the daily responsibility of being a mom. That’s not to say that none of the journalists or bloggers aren’t mothers, just that as in any other job, they’re separating out work from home life.
In real life, I don’t hear moms debating attachment parenting or elimination communication or Tiger moms vs. Raising Bebe moms. I hear them talking about how their kid is doing in school, why the knees of his pants wear out so fast, whether the family can manage it if one kid plays soccer and the other baseball….everyday stuff.
I over so over the “mommy wars.” Even more than that, I am so over the phrase “mommy wars.” Ugh.