I have always admired Amy Poehler as a comedian and a writer. My favorite character of hers is Mrs. George from Mean Girls. Remember this:
It never gets old! But I recently came across a statement of hers (Amy's not Mrs. George's!) about motherhood which I think should be a mantra for all mothers:
I have many friends who have had natural childbirth. I applaud them. I have friends who have used doulas and birthing balls and pushed out babies in tubs and taxicabs. I have a friend who had two babies at home! In bed! Her name is Maya Rudolph! She is a goddamn baby champion and she pushed her cuties out Little House on the Prairie style!
Good for her! Not for me.
That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her! Not for me.
Wasn't that just spot on? As a new mom with so much to do, there are many times when I can't help but compare myself with other moms who have it all together. I always end up thinking "I should be doing more." It's difficult not to feel insecure especially when you're still navigating the crazy new world of motherhood. But what we should be doing is trusting our mom instincts. We should stop being so hard on ourselves because we're all just doing our best to raise happy, healthy kids. So I guess whenever we catch ourselves playing the mom comparison game, we should just repeat after Amy:
Great insight. I'm sure this will come in handy when the time comes for frazzled first-time moms give birth to their bundles of joy and compare themselves with other moms who seem to have it all together. :)
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