Are you a Bad Mother?
Since becoming a Mum, I have had the joy of experiencing ‘Mum shaming’ on many occasions. I admit that sometimes I do it to myself, comparing myself to other Mums who seem to be handling it better, doing it better, looking better while doing it better…the list is endless.
But a lot of the time, it was a myriad of people and factors that made me feel like a “Bad Mother”.
- Health visitors and breastfeeding experts who grabbed my boobs and squeezed them like cake icing funnels, telling me that the reason I couldn’t breastfeed wasn’t because I had inverted nipples (which I do), or because my baby was ill when she was born (she was), it’s because I wasn’t ‘doing it right’.
- Other Mums who seemed so together and serene, making me feel like I was the only one feeling overwhelmed and drowning in exhaustion.
- Super Mums who baked vegetable muffins and made homemade bloody broccoli bread (I might be exaggerating here, it may have been just bread) for their little darlings, when I was serving up pouch after pouch of ‘Ella’s’ finest.
- Mum’s who, when I said, ‘it really does get boring sometimes doesn’t it?’, responded with, ‘Oh I never get bored, little Farquar and Mumsy, have a whale of a time, all day, every day, don’t we Farquar?’ (I might be exaggerating here, I think the child’s name was Napolean)
- Comments like ‘Oh, is your little one not walking / talking / reciting Shakespeare yet?
- Press Articles with titles like “Get Your PHD, and other productive things to do on maternity leave’. My main achievement was to watch Game of Thrones from start to finish. (still quite proud of that)
All of the above made me sad, made me cry. So I think it’s time for me, and anyone else who might have been shamed into feeling like ‘A Bad Mother’, to wipe away the tears and have a laugh instead. This video introduces a new character ‘Mummy Knows Best’. An Ode to all those who like to make us struggling, juggling Mums feel like shit!
We are all just winging it, and behind closed doors, I’m certain that even the ‘perfect Mums’ that you know, are having a complete meltdown.
This first episode is entitled ‘Tired Mummy’. I hope you enjoy it.
Lots of love,
The Funny Mummy