I saw a funny Buzzfeed video last week about the different kinds of moms you meet.
Apparently there are five different types: the PTA mom, the hipster mom, the crunchy mom, the parenting expert and the hot mess mom. (Not sure where I fit here ... maybe a bit of parenting expert, crunchy and hot mess, all rolled into one?)
I would like to respectfully submit one more: the Pinterest mom.
Public Domain Image via Pixabay.
We all know the Pinterest mom. She does homemade crafts with her children on the regular. She takes family photos on holidays with all offspring in coordinating outfits. She makes her children's Halloween costumes and does Elf on a Shelf. She thoroughly documents each moment of her children's lives with baby books, scrapbooks and photo albums. She throws elaborate, themed birthday parties for toddlers with a professional photographer present. She always remembers to squeeze every last ounce of special out of her children's special days.
Well, this is not me. At all.
I am not great at this aspect of modern parenting. I typically don't think to take a family photo on holidays until about 10 p.m. when Jonah has been asleep for hours. The idea of doing a craft with my toddler fills me with dread. I would theoretically like to create a scrapbook for my son but I doubt I would ever actually follow through with it. I forgot to get Jonah an Easter basket until everyone else's photos appeared on Facebook.
I don't know exactly why I'm so bad at all of this. Maybe it's the combination of having a busy life, plus a general lack of craftiness/artistic ability that just makes me generally bad at all things Pinterest-y.
I often feel some guilt and anxiety over this, and I haven't been able to get on Pinterest much since Jonah was born because of it. Not doing the things that most of my contemporaries seem to do with their children makes me feel like somewhat of a failure as a parent. Did a fun day really happen if I forgot to document it? Is Easter still special for my 15-month old if I forgot to get him a gift? Do I still have a beautiful family if we don't have many photos all together? WILL JONAH BE UPSET AS AN ADULT TO NOT HAVE A BABY BOOK?!
I'm trying to remember that these things look good, but they don't really matter that much in the grand scheme of things. They're extra.
Instead, I'm trying to focus on the ways I am really knocking it out of the park as a parent. Jonah loves being read to, and books are his favorite toys, because we have read to him every day from birth. He is extremely friendly and social and says about 15 to 20 words. He isn't a picky eater and regularly eats lots of different kinds of foods, such as Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese and Chinese. He is obviously intelligent. He is such a happy, loving little guy. I like to think that means we're doing a lot of things right.
And, honestly, I think focusing on the positive is the answer to so many of our issues around insecurity and anxiety as mothers. Cut yourself some slack, mama. You're doing fine.
And for all the Pinterest moms: I salute you and your crafty ways! Want to come make/plan/organize some of that stuff for me?
What about you? Do you love Pinterest, does it cause you anxiety, or a little of both?
Holly Love writes about marriage, parenting, faith, work, politics, pop culture and current events at lovelyintrospection.