The other day while chatting with the girls (my sanity-saving group of mothers that meet once a week), the topic turned to homeschooling and one mom said "You guys are just better mothers," as if those who choose to homeschool were somehow "better mothers." No, no, no, 100 times NO!
I so don't want any of my choices to make another mother feel inferior. We get enough of that in our society, whether real or imagined. The so-called "mommy wars" perpetuate the image of catty, back-stabbing women while dividing a huge group that needs each others support. Truthfully, most of the women I know are respectful of other mothers even when they disagree. The women in my Tuesday morning group don't always see eye-to-eye, but we sure do support each other. I love their encouragement, their commiseration, their wise insights and their listening hearts.
I know I run the risk of sounding relativistic and trite, but I do believe it's pretty simple. You make the choice that works for you, your child and your family. When it doesn't work anymore, you do something different. And if you don't have people in your life who support and respect you when you're doing the best you can for your family, go find a Tuesday morning group for yourself.
Brave Writer Podcast update!
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I have been Julie Bogart’s co-host on the Brave Writer Podcast for over a
year now. One of my favorite gigs EVER. Whether we’re interviewing a guest
(we ge...
2 months ago
3 comments:
Just so you know, I'm not a better mother. I didn't get the dishes and the laundry done when I was painting. And I never took on painting when I was pregnant with toddlers running around. Yes, it does get easier to do bigger projects as the kids got bigger. I can do lots of things now without as many problems. They don't need to be as highly supervised now, but can still make messes or destroy things without even thinking. They should be old enough to think now, but they don't always do it. Your turn will come. By then I'll be dealing with teenagers...
We just never have it perfect at any stage of mothering, do we? It's good to know that others are in the same boat, or have already sailed that one. While I'll concede that you are not a "better" mother (let's drop those labels, it just damages us all), you are an amazing one. As are many, many, many mothers out there.
You are an amazing mom too!
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