mom fun
I Hope The Mommy Wars Never End Because I Love Arguing And Judging
Newsflash – just because we share the experience of having grown a human in our wombs, doesn’t mean we always have to agree with each other. I’m comfortable with that. I like it. Arguing is healthy and anyone who thinks there’s anything fundamentally wrong with the “mommy wars” has clearly bought into the notion that we are the “gentler sex.” Spoiler alert: we’re not. We’re filled with rage and judgement. And wine.
I saw a photo essay today that brought all of these feelings up. It’s another attempt to “end the mommy wars.” It’s sweet and all – a bunch of women smiling at each other and pretending it’s all good for these staged photographs – It just happens to be a group of photos that evoke absolutely no feeling in my soul, whatsoever:
See, I think this picture would be better if they were arm-wrestling. Or if it was an actual video with their children in it so we could see who was more well-adjusted.
I want to know who’s happier. Whose kid is more clingy? Who makes a better martini?
What if I told you the mommy wars don’t really exist, it’s just that every time women have a differing opinion all hell breaks loose? If the mommy wars are just women not agreeing with each other – I’m all for them. None of us know what we’re doing. We’re all doing our best. But that doesn’t mean we need to have the same definition of “best.”
I get it. We all want to pretend to be above it all. But frankly, I don’t trust a person that never judges anyone. Who are you, Jesus? I don’t want to hang out with Jesus. Do you?
How are we all going to feel good about the decisions we’re making if there aren’t hordes of women making the opposite ones and failing worse than we are? What’s the point of even talking about any of this stuff if there isn’t a right way to do things? I mean, I’m usually not doing it but I’m comforted to know that it’s out there.
I breastfed, didn’t sleep train, made all my own baby food (for a while), held my kid whenever he cried, let him watch TV, drank wine and coffee while nursing, and made him his own meals. He’s now a horrible sleeper, a picky eater, and a tantrum thrower. I should be judged – I’m failing miserably.
As far as I’m concerned – long live the mommy wars. And could someone please invent a sarcasm font, for Christ’s sake?
(photo: Getty Images)
keelhaulrose
January 24, 2014 at 4:41 pm
I like to stir the pot on occasion, if things are dying down. Just go to a random mommy post and shout “bottle-feeding, television, sugar, boxed foods, daycare!” and run off.
Maria Guido
January 24, 2014 at 4:46 pm
hahaha! Good idea!
kjmum
January 25, 2014 at 1:43 am
What about – “vaccinations rock!!” Always good for a laugh, or at a least a great rage fest 🙂
Beth
January 25, 2014 at 2:37 am
Oh!!! that one is my favorite! I live in a very conservative Christian area and I am inundated with sanctimommies that declare moral superiority because they would NEVER risk giving their precious snowflake _______ (fill in the blank with some quack-science predicted illness) by forcing immunizations upon them!
I always want to follow up with something to the tune of “I am now going to perform for you a play in one act entitled ‘why you are a blithering dumbass’.”
Kay_Sue
January 25, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Anybody else follow STFUP on Facebook and see the crazy rage fest that was unleashed when B put up a pro-vax story last week? Now that was some serious mommy (and not mommy! surprisingly!) warfare. About 500+ comments worth.
Kat
January 25, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Excuse me. I love you.
Frances Locke
January 26, 2014 at 10:04 pm
You are made of awesome.
rrlo
January 24, 2014 at 4:45 pm
You guys are so awesome (Mommyish writers and readers). I probably posted five things on the internet in my whole life – until I found Mommyish six months ago. Now I can’t stop!!!
Maria Guido
January 24, 2014 at 4:46 pm
xoxo
Bethany Ramos
January 24, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Glad you’re here!!
Andrea
January 24, 2014 at 5:56 pm
Mommyish articles are like internet crack. I actually think it’s the cilantro.
kjmum
January 25, 2014 at 1:44 am
Someone at work actually asked “What is cilantro” the other day (in Australia it’s coriander). I almost died from not laughing!
SusannahJoy
January 25, 2014 at 10:45 pm
Interesting, because here only the seeds are called coriander. And the seeds taste totally different from the leaves.
And I don’t want to know what cilantro seeds are code for.
ShanLea
January 25, 2014 at 1:58 am
This! I actually just found Mommyish only a week ago, and I can’t stop reading. I have one browser page up for new posts and one for the older articles so I don’t lose my place. My laundry is getting nowhere!
Frances Locke
January 26, 2014 at 10:05 pm
I feel the same way. I’ve never felt more home in an Internet community than here.
CMJ
January 24, 2014 at 4:48 pm
If scoffing was a Olympic Sport, I would be a gah-zillion time gold medalist.
Holly
January 24, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Yes, cupcakes for the person who invents the sarcasm font!
havronsm
January 24, 2014 at 5:04 pm
I didn’t invent it but there is one: http://glennmcanally.com/sarcastic/
havronsm
January 24, 2014 at 5:04 pm
Oh there is a sarcasm font! http://glennmcanally.com/sarcastic/
Vicki Lewis
January 24, 2014 at 6:27 pm
Sartalics. I like it.
Bethany Ramos
January 24, 2014 at 5:08 pm
I LOVE this (and you)! People always wax poetic about not judging, but without the mommy wars, the internet would implode. And I would have no job.
Frances Locke
January 26, 2014 at 10:24 pm
I agree so hard right now. I try so hard not to judge, but there are so many people who just don’t seem to GAF about things. I love the way Mommyish goes about it though. Less Babycenter-style uber judging and more open minded, devil’s advocate judging.
LiteBrite
January 24, 2014 at 5:44 pm
“Who makes a better martini?”
Now THERE’S a mommy-war. You can bottle-feed, sleep-train, work outside the home at your mega corporate high-powered job, and let your kid watch hours of Nickolodean all you want. But if you can’t make a decent martini, I’m going to judge the ever-loving shit out of you.
SusannahJoy
January 25, 2014 at 10:50 pm
Gin or Vodka? Go!
Personally, I LOVE gin. I think my first alcoholic drink was a gin and tonic. Also, I have never once been carded while ordering a gin and tonic. I actually had a bartender tell me that she would’ve carded me if I’d ordered something else, but that since gin and tonics are such an old person’s drink she believed that either I was over 21, or that I really needed the drink, and she wasn’t going to judge.
Frances Locke
January 26, 2014 at 10:16 pm
I like my martinis the way I like my sex. Dirty. Gin, vermouth and olive juice. NOM.
Terry Teague SF
January 24, 2014 at 5:49 pm
Biochemically induced arguments are the best
Mrsspring
January 24, 2014 at 6:10 pm
Wow you could write an article on the symbolism of that first photo alone that would keep the mummy wars going. What’s with the woman who works outside of the home literally standing outside the home (does she work on the front porch?)and why is the stay at home mother positioned on a higher step, looking down at the working mum? Hmmm and what’s with the weird lady in the background is she like all mrs mcjudgerson saying ‘no thank you, no working mums for us today’.
Jane Doh
January 25, 2014 at 7:13 pm
Also, what’s up with SAHM’s pants?
Kat
January 25, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Are they pants? I couldn’t figure it out. Plus, SAHM is thinner. She is clearly the winner.
Jane Doh
January 25, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Clearly
SusannahJoy
January 25, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Yeah but the other working mom is thinner. I’m sad to say that I actually, consciously noticed that.
Véronique Houde
January 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm
I enjoy the good mommy war, as long as there aren’t too many “crazy moms” on here commenting insanities. Having one or two token sanctimommies is perfect 😉
Carrie0715
January 24, 2014 at 9:15 pm
So MommyWars have only ended for white, upper middle class ladies according to the photo essay. Since I’m poor as hell, I’m going to keep on judging.
Kay_Sue
January 24, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Hey, I want to hang out with Jesus. Maybe Jesus-wine is the wine I have been looking for.
Bethany Ramos
January 25, 2014 at 8:41 am
This made me LOL so hard!!
http://i.imgur.com/GH1qbf1.jpg
Kay_Sue
January 25, 2014 at 11:22 am
I stole this. I’m gonna go drive my conservative fundamentalist Christian relatives nuts on Facebook now!!! You just made my Saturday.
Bethany Ramos
January 25, 2014 at 11:26 am
HAHAHAHA
Maria Guido
January 25, 2014 at 11:58 am
I was thinking more of a French Rose´…
Kay_Sue
January 25, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Hmmm…sounds promising.
SusannahJoy
January 25, 2014 at 10:48 pm
I read that and thought “dammit! What’s a French Rose? I can’t go a few days without reading this site!” ala cilantro.
Frances Locke
January 26, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Jesus = Wine = Yes Please
Kay_Sue
January 26, 2014 at 11:33 pm
I don’t want Him involved in decisions made by my politicians, but I would certainly have drinks with Him…that’s the gospel truth.
EX
January 24, 2014 at 10:34 pm
I’ve never really understood the mommy wars or the child-free vs. breeder war, for that matter. I’m a mom who works outside the home and my two best friends are a child-free by choice woman and a stay at home mom. These wars only seem to exist on the internet (and not here at mommyish where the child-free by choice, SAHMs and FTWMs all seem to get along, especially when we’re mocking someone – or something – else).
CrazyFor Kate
January 25, 2014 at 10:07 am
I like the mommy wars because it gives me an excuse to use this clip over and over. Tina Fey, you goddess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_24p1ht9v8
kay
January 25, 2014 at 1:27 pm
“But frankly, I don’t trust a person that never judges anyone. Who are you, Jesus?”
I went to a Catholic college and you got a mix of fun drunk catholics and judgey holier than thou ones. When we did particularly classy things and unfun people would glare at us my friends and I would always yell “Jesus doesn’t judge!”
Which, I mean, they’d judge us for yelling that too, but at least we had a point.
Frances Locke
January 26, 2014 at 10:03 pm
I think we all judge. But I believe we can disagree without being awful to each other. I’m sure there are things we adamantly disagree on, Maria, but you are always rational and open minded, which is the antithesis of the whole “Mommy Wars” thing, IMO. Basically, you rock my socks.
Angela Liebermann
October 27, 2014 at 9:58 am
I feel like I wrote this! I’m so tired of every time I disagree with something or don’t like something people are like “omg!! STOP THE MOMMY WARS!!!!” How about we stop being so sensitive? “Women are judged so harshly. We are under so much pressure.” Bullshit!!! Just enjoy your family and baby & get over it!!!!
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