The (horrible) episode was about the children of working moms verses the children of stay at home moms and as we all know, this is an age old debate. On this episode, working mothers were calling stay at home moms lazy; which is far from reality and completely uncalled for; and is what made a lot of stay at home moms angry. However, what gets my blood running hot is when mothers put other mothers down; in this case it was the working moms putting down the stay at home moms but let's face it, the shoe has been on the other foot more times than we care to recognize. Here are just a few of the (misguided) stereotypes from each side of the fence: SAHM are lazy, incompetent, moochers, bon bon eaters, and they are heavier in weight. WM are withdrawn workaholics who only care about themselves, their careers, and getting rich. These are just a few; you know there are many more out there. Let's face it, I don't care which side of the fence any of us reside (I have lived on both) we all work our tail ends off to provide for and meet the needs of our family, we go to bed exhausted, we feel guilty whenever we are away from them no matter what the reason, and our to do lists are never ending!!
The debates span way beyond this argument into how we raise our children. On a schedule, not on a schedule, what they eat, what they don't eat, how they are disciplined, and how they don't have any discipline. I am a Babywise Mommy, I had Eli on a schedule, I don't allow him to drink soft drinks, sweet tea, or even juice because I don't think that he needs the added sugar especially since I have a family history of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. This is what works for our family, I don't ask that you embrace it, but I ask that you respect it. I have a very good friend who is a doctor as well as her husband. Their children aren't on a schedule because if they were, they would never see them. I understand and respect their style because it's what works for them and their children are thriving. A close friend of mine has a saying that I love, "different isn't better or worse, it's just different."
All that being said, doesn't society and the media beat us up enough? We can't pass a magazine stand without seeing how we should be thinner, eat healthier, cook better, child rear more appropriately, work a full time job, chase our dreams, stay at home with the kids, be a craft diva, dress more stylish, be more organized, and after we have done all of the above still make time for an AMAZING love life!! Does anyone feel encouraged after reading an edition of Cosmo? I don't, I feel like my to do list gets longer!! SO, why in this crazy, hectic world where we are bombarded with what we're doing wrong and how we could do everything better do we attack each other? As women, we should ban together and say, "girlfriend, you're an amazing person! You're doing a great job raising your family, or You're awesome at your job and you are a great Mom!" All mothers have a common goal, to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted children, if our fellow mothers are meeting that goal and are still sane, I say 2 thumbs up!! Amen?
