So I was reading a blog post that went on a rampage about the "Pinterest-Era Mommy" and all of the pressure that entails...making everything from scratch from dinners to birthday cakes to our children's clothes. The guilt that moms of my generation have is we have to work, many of us, so we overcompensate by doing. We, in turn, actually spend less quality time with our kids cause we're busy making, crafting and well, just plain going nuts reaching for this notion of the "perfect mom". At first, I found myself nodding along...but then I kind of got annoyed.
The even larger problem, in my humble opinion is that we let that competitive, keep-up-with-the-Joneses thing make us feel that way. I personally do what I can, as I can all while feeling like I do a decent job of enjoying my family and spending quality time. Do I wish I could do even more? Sure. Have I had guilt over the rare but necessary trip to McDonald's for dinner? Absolutely. But I have never felt my fondness for crafting and using my creativity (which, by the way is a large part of who I am) inhibits my abilities as a mom. If it did and for the lady who went on her tangent feels it does, we should all take a step back and simplify. As for myself, I enjoy the occasional hand-sewn dress, trying a new recipe, repurposing old furniture more for feeding a part of myself than feeling some need to "keep up". As moms, we sacrifice all the time for our families and I'll be darned if someone who maybe just doesn't enjoy or have the time for that sort of thing is gonna make me feel bad about that. I do most of those things when Maddie is napping or after she is in bed. I have sewn a pillow while she's in the tub and painted a piece of furniture while she's at the park with Daddy. I do not take time from her to impress anyone. That said, I do agree that we women do too much in general and have immense pressure that our mothers and women before them did not face. We often work, feel pressure to be fit and spend hours at the gym, be amazing wives all while blogging, baking, socializing, networking and somewhere in there being our own person and feeding our souls. I do sometimes feel overwhelmed and have to know when to say no or take a break (as I know many of my friends and family do too). I agree we need to "unplug" in general...enough with the constant electronic obsession, even I'm over it! We need FACE time, conversation, to remove the many distractions we have from one another. But we should also, within reason, be able to do what we love and enjoy and not be made to feel like, as she put it, "Stepford Wives". I am so fortunate to have a very helpful husband who gives me creative time as well as helps limit the "female" responsibilities we face (the man has never looked sexier than when bending over to put dishes in the dishwasher...just sayin').
So I found this (on Pinterest no less...HA!) and loved it's simplicity. THESE are my goals for this new year. Simple, doable and along with surviving a newborn is as much as I plan to worry about. And when the time comes and I get on a schedule and we adjust of going from a family of three to four I WILL and plan to make his first birthday cake, sew him, well, something and maybe even puree some baby food. So there.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, whatever that may mean to you!!
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