Have you guys seen this new programming on Nickelodeon called “Nick Moms”? I watched it over the weekend. At first I thought what a great idea! Shows about moms for moms-how cool is that? It turns out, for me, that it wasn’t so cool (too be fair, I do really enjoy the “What Would Carol Brady Say” show where it’s like pop up video over The Brady Bunch). The first show was ok, funny even. There is a standup comedy show. It was funny but the jokes were only about children and parenting. Not even a fart joke that wasn’t relevant to kids. I enjoyed the second show a little less and by the time I got to the third show, I just didn’t care. Here’s the thing: I am sick of being “mom.”
Don’t get me wrong. I adore my children. If you’ve spent even 5 minutes around me you know my kids names, their birth stories, a billion pictures, and everything you would need to know to write their biographies. I’m lovingly obsessed with my kids. I have a job, I have a life, but my entire world revolves around my kids. So at 9pm, when they’re both in bed asleep and I’m not responsible for anybody or anything (other than myself and the glass of wine I’m drinking) the last thing I want to watch is more moms talking about how hard it is to be a mom (I really want to watch a show about a motorcycle gang). And yet, this is the programming that is geared towards me, “Mom,” because I have kids so it must be what I want to watch. Do you know what I received in the mail yesterday? Two kid’s toy catalogs, a coupon for diapers, and a Parent’s magazine. I used to get lingerie catalogs. I used to get junk mail from Cosmo, now I just get junk from Parents magazine. My Facebook page is filled with ads for moms. When did becoming a mom mean that I stopped being a woman?
I know this is a dumb thing to complain about, definitely a 1st world problem. I adore being a mom, but I also miss my old identity. Oh, but that’s the answer, isn’t it? It’s not my old identity; it’s still my current identity. I’m still a 20 something (ok, for the next 3 weeks), vibrant, vivacious woman. I have a career that I love, and yet I get mail from online colleges asking me if going back to school will help me advance from the stay at home mom phase. One of my favorite things to do is shop for shoes, purses… ok, anything, but the only ads I get are for children’s clothes and toys. I get it, being a mom is part of my identity and I love that. But it’s not my entire identity.
Hello, my name is Cindy, and I am a singer (All together now: “Hi Cindy”). I own my own business as a private voice instructor to hundreds of students all over the world. As the wife of a musician, mother of two adorable children, and motivator/inspirer/teacher of singers, I am always pursuing the goal of becoming SuperWoman. If I’m not singing or cleaning up after the many loves of my life, you can find me hiding in my shoe closet with a bottle of red wine and a box of chocolates.
We Bare All. 