In Defense of Moms

I know this weekend is for dads, but let me put in a good word today
for the moms. Moms in our society feel two competing pressures: to
take care of their kids and to have successful careers. One side
guilts moms into choosing their jobs over their children, while
another side is critical of moms for letting their domestic
responsibilities waylay them from their professional ambitions. A lot
of moms respond by trying to do both perfectly: keep the home and the
kids in top-notch shape AND climb the corporate ladder. Never mind
that just doing one of those is hard enough.

We get Parenting Magazine (tagline: "what matters to moms"), and it
seems half of each issue is devoted to telling moms that it's OK to
not be perfect. It's OK not to have the perfect 1st birthday party,
it's OK to take some "me" time in the midst of all the juggling, it's
OK to be frustrated with your kids when they're being bad. Most of
all, its OK to be a stay-at-home and it's OK to be a working mom.

For awhile, I've been aware of the fact that women are pressured into
impossible body ideals. But since becoming a parent, and talking
through stuff with my wife, and reading Parenting Magazine, I've
become aware of the fact that women are pressured into impossible time
and value and role ideals. So while I'm glad that the dads are the
focus of this special weekend, I'll be sure to keep my eye out for the
moms, too.