I KNOW there are mothers who are better than I am…at…say…volunteering at the school, pushing their child towards academic excellence, getting camp forms in on time, knowing the school holidays… I know because there are Ubermoms all around me in this upscale suburban town that I call home.
However, as much as these Ubermoms try to make me feel insecure—I KNOW that I excel at other, more important, aspects of motherhood. I consider myself a niche mom. My focus is the cultural stuff….Family Art Projects at the MoMA—we are there. Modern dance at City Center—present. Experiencing fondue at a French restaurant on the Eastside—an absolute must for little girls. Carnegie Hall kids--a prefect day. Experimental theater—kids love it. ( Nothing like strobe lights and scantily clad dancers swimming above you in a see-thru Plexiglas swimming pool to get the kids revved up about theater.) Europe over Disney for a family holiday—Venice is SO much more enchanting than the Magic Kingdom plus the wine is better too.
The next time you find yourself accidentally in the middle of an Ubermom competition—who worked the hardest volunteering at the school, whose child won some major award for ending world hunger, who has just placed their child in the most exclusive, most expensive camp on the East Coast—screw them. Focus on your niche mothering. You are not here to be the CEO of your kid’s life. You are here to enjoy your life with your kid.
See you at the museum!
3 comments:
Thanks for this post, lazymom. It made me feel better about not being into SPORTS, which is such a huge niche aroudn here. Our son is into SPORTS. My husband and I feel so out of place at all the SPORTS events. We're not real big SPORTS people, and can't compete with the SPORTY voices that cheer loudly from the sidelines at the games. I see no cure since I don't want to not support my son at SPORTS. You wouldn't give me a dirty look if you saw me on the bleachers at the baseball game with a book, would you?
Totally game for the museum visits!
My niche mothering is to learn how to enjoy my life and not let my kid get in the way.
JGH I feel for you - thank god my kid kicked the sports habit - its brutal out there.
JGH, Sports--thank god we got soccer out of the way when The Beast was in kindergarten. Nothing like a team that lost every game to sour a child on sports. Not to mention all those Peppermint-Patty girls and their tough moms with the loud voices and large minivans. Scary.
Proud Procrastinator--Ms. PR and I have always felt children need to know their place--they are precious accessories to our lives--to be enjoyed.
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