Parenting Toddlers

Sometimes life is dirty. Sometimes Mom gets dirty too.

I found this by chance the other day and had to share it. It kind of speaks for itself so here it is:

I am so sick of moms who seem to stop caring about how they look just because they have kids. Seriously, how hard is it to blow dry your hair and put a swipe of lipstick on before you leave the house? I had to spend extra time assuring my husband that I wouldn’t let myself go when we had kids because he’s seen it happen so many times. Wouldn’t you agree that they are giving us moms who still have some self-respect a bad name? — Get Your Roots Done Already!

This was on the site Babble. And the response (which you can read here) was all about moms not having time, support, or resources. Or simply not caring about putting on lipstick before going to the playground. Some people are those put-together types that always look great, have spotless homes, and spotless children. How they accomplish that is beyond me. I can manage one of those at a time, sort of. Maybe half of one of those things at a time. Who has time? And I’m a stay at home mom. I theoretically do have the time to shower, shave my legs, pretty up my face, and actually put some product in my hair. Sure. And then, I can look stunning while I play in the dirt with the kids? Or while I feed my son whose favorite thing to do is sneeze when he has a mouthful of oatmeal?

Why do new moms let themselves go? Maybe some of us don’t have the genetic makeup of Angelina Jolie or the luxury of having a trainer and/or chef. Maybe it takes someone over a year to lose weight from the baby so she feels kind of frumpy and doesn’t want to buy clothes that (hopefully) won’t fit in a few months. And sleep. Forget it. When babies are young, it is a treat to get two hours of sleep in a row. When your baby is napping during the day, you don’t want to put on some makeup, you want to rest. Why should I put on my pearls and heels to vacuum or go to the grocery store? It’s ridiculous. I find the person who wrote this to be absolutely ridiculous. Even worse? Her husband. Making her promise not to let herself go after she had kids? No pressure to lose baby weight there, huh? I put enough on myself, I would freak out if my partner insisted I lose weight inhumanly fast.

Even worse than that? Her agreeing and seeming to take pride in that. What? Are you kidding? Why take pride in having an a$$ for a husband? When you’ve just given birth, you’re a queen. I don’t care if you haven’t brushed your hair or got out of your pajamas. You have done the single most difficult thing bodies can do. And you are continuing to do the most difficult thing - raising a loved, healthy, happy child. That’s what matters. It’s important to feel confident and take pride in yourself, but it’s absurd how some people place so much value on appearances. Kids are not accessories. Kids are dirty, messy, and exhausting. I’m all for having mom’s day at the spa or taking care of yourself, but if happiness means wearing your sweats while running errands, go ahead. I have a lot of self-respect, but it does not coming from wearing lipstick or having perfectly coiffed hair. It comes from being a good person and good mom. Maybe this oh-so-perfect mom can set a good example for her children and be a nice human being and give others a break.