I know, it's difficult to imagine a larger amount of cuteness. And...I would like to point out that she's sitting up all.by.herself. Go Moooooooo! She's getting so big.
So as it's my first Mother's Day, and it's my mom's first Mom's Day as a grandma, I'm surfing the net for gift ideas and hints to drop around the house (while my kids are watching a movie about the Holocaust--which, seriously, I can only watch 4 or 5 times before I get bored), and I stumble across an article on a fairly popular website. Here is an excerpt from said article:
"As the kids get a bit older, and start spending their days in school, its
time for her to get to spend a little time on herself. Raising young children is
a full time job, so some mothers do not get enough pampering of their own during
these years. Now is the time for her to do some things for herself. For spending
the mornings in the house, after all the kids are off to school, nothing is
better than a nice comfortable cashmere robe. The Robe in Lightweight Cashmere is perfect for lounging around the house after a busy morning getting everyone ready for school. It's not an easy job, so this 100% cashmere robe is the perfect gift for
mothers of any age."
I'll give you a minute to go back, re-read, adjust the color on your monitor, scratch your head in bewilderment, and ask yourself what in the HELL this moron was thinking.
Now, let's take this one step at a time. As the kids get older, and start spending their days in school, it's time for her to get to spend a little time on herself. Because the second kids get on the bus, the mom switch flips off? Good, because I'd hate for her to spend any time doing laundry, cleaning the house, running errands, cooking, or, god forbid, WORKING. At a JOB. Apparently the author of this article is stuck in the 50s.
Raising young children is a full time job, so some mothers do not get enough pampering of their own during these years. Is it? Really? So is my other JOB. The one that pays the bills. So I can have a house to lounge around in all day while my children are at school. Quite paradoxical, no?
Now is the time for her to do some things for herself. Could this BE any more condescending?
For spending the mornings in the house, after all the kids are off to school, nothing is better than a nice comfortable cashmere robe. Are you FREAKING kidding me? There are SO many things wrong with this statement that I cannot even begin to articulate them. First off, does this guy (and yes, this article was written by a man. Is anyone surprised? I thought not.)...does this guy REALLY think that stay at home moms just lounge around the house all day while the kids are at school? What, do they eat bonbons and watch soaps all day too?
Let me tell you what MY mornings look like: My alarm goes off at 4:45. I get up, feed Charlotte, get her dressed, make sure her bag is ready to go for the day. I get hair and makeup done (maybe) and get myself dressed (usually). I pack a semblance of lunch (2 cokes, 2 granola bars, 2 string cheeses, 1 package of peanut butter crackers). I usually make it out the door around 6 for my stop at McDonald's for my coffee, then drive 40 minutes to work, where I must arrive by 7.
On days where I'm not working, if I send Charlotte to daycare, I'm using the baby-free time to catch up on laundry, ironing, straightening up the house, shopping, running errands, paying bills...well, you get the picture.
But wait, there's more! The Robe in Comfortable Cashmere is perfect for lounging around the house after a busy morning getting everyone ready for school. LOUNGING AROUND THE HOUSE? If I were this man's wife, and I read this...well, maybe she does "lounge." But I have a hard time believing that. I don't remember the last time I "lounged." In fact, I usually fall into bed exhausted at the end of the day because I've been trying to cram so much into the hours I'm awake. Hell, I usually feel guilty for going to bed because there's more stuff I could be doing instead of sleeping.
And I'm even accepting the fact that he is clearly talking about a stay-at-home mom, not a working mom (a phrase which I find redundant, incidentally)...but don't worry moms, he understands: It's not an easy job, so this 100% cashmere robe is the perfect gift for mothers of any age. Because sure, cashmere's practical for any mom with children under 25...vomit and pureed peas and paint and crayon and juice and glue and god knows what else will be FABULOUS accessories with that cashmere robe. Good call there, Ace.
I mean, seriously. I cannot put into words how disturbing and offensive I find the concept that this article embodies. Does this man even HAVE a wife? Children? My condolences to them if he does. How can one person be so unrealistic? I know there are subpar parents out there, but even not-so-great moms have so much more on their plates, it's ridiculous.
I say this, of course, with my vast 7 months of parenting experience to back me up, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how hard moms work. My own mother was tireless. She worked every single day to give me the best life possible, and now that I a) am trying to survive on a teacher's salary and b) have a child of my own and see how expensive they are, I am much better able to appreciate just how much my mom did for me. It's hard for me to juggle everything; I can't imagine how she did it as a single mom. I can pretty much guarantee you that she never lounged around the house in a cashmere robe.
And...I am now out of steam and have probably wasted way too much time and energy getitng upset over this...but seriously. Just...seriously.
More important things call...Charlotte wants her late-night snack and her bed. Off I go!
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