The Super-Mom Myth

I've been thinking a lot this morning. Nothing new, I suppose, but I was thinking of the whole super-mom concept. Then I hopped online for a little bit, and came across this lovely post called "Your Children Want YOU!" over at The Power of Moms.

Everything she wrote went along with what I'd been pondering over earlier today.

Super-Mom.

Society would have us believe that we need to "do it all" as Moms. Clean house. Perfectly dressed kids. Always on the go. Involved in 18 gazillion activities. Homecooked meals with fancy desserts from fresh, organic, and local foods. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

And that post I read today is so right...we live in a era of social media, and it's even easier now to get sucked into what we aren't doing and what we need to do better.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love making delicious meals from organic and local foods. I love having a clean and lovely house. I love doing new things with my LBB and introducing him to the world around us. I love when LBB wears dapper little clothes and his face is spotless and his hair is staying in place (even if it's just for a moment.)

But.

I also love lazy days when we watch too much tv. I love hearing his giggles as he see Blue doing something funny with Steve. I love the super-duper, extra cuddles we share during those lazy days.

I love hanging out in his room playing for endless hours. I love pretending we are chefs. I love playing with his imaginext ninjas. I love building boats out of his blocks.

I love when we spend a whole day with Dear Sweet Hubby doing absolutely nothing. I love when we all take a nap on a sunny afternoon.

And you know what? Sometimes, among all that stuff, things get messy in the house. Dishes don't get done right away. Here's the thing though...at the end of the day, that stuff can get cleaned up. I don't need to be following him around picking up every single mess I see. Sometimes I get trapped into cleaning when I'm supposed to be playing.

Why?

Because I worry. I worry that if someone came over, they'd think less of me if my house was messy. I worry that when Dear Sweet Hubby gets home from work he'd be slightly irritated if things were less than perfect. I worry that if my mom stops by and sees my house slightly messy, she'll think I am a terrible mom.

WHY?

Why do I think these things? First of all, none of them are true. My true friends don't care what my house looks like. Dear Sweet Hubby probably wouldn't even notice...he's just glad to see us and be home from work. And my Mom raised me. She dealt with my messy room when I was a kid. :)

God wants me to keep an orderly home, and I do. We don't live in a pig-sty, but we definitely don't live in a palace. Things aren't alphabetized like they used to be before I had LBB, but they don't need to be.

Society has one idea of "Super Mom". But my little guy's idea of me, now that's what matters. I want to be his "Super Mom."

Now, I'm not saying my house is a disaster and that it's ok to not do anything. I love to have a clean house. I love to decorate. I love to do crafts. But I don't want all that to consume me.


I looked up "Super Mom" on Urban Dictionary, and this is what the entry said:

"Fun, energetic Moms who love parenting. Not the stereotype of the women who wear pearls and greet their mate at the door with a casserole in hand, these moms have thrown off the pearls and donned jeans and t-shirts instead. The habitat they are most likely to be found in is the playground, the grocery store in the organic produce section, the closest library or participating with their kids in any fun activity you can think of.

Not to be confused with Moms who think they are wearing proverbial capes and can "do it all". Super Moms are just having super fun!"

Now, I like that.

That's a good definition for Super Mom, and one that I think my LBB would agree with. :)