Before I became a mom, I had no idea about mommy wars. None. I just thought everyone bee-bopped along, figuring out this parenthood thing and learning together. Boy, could I have been more wrong? I think that becoming a blogger and being active on social media has opened my eyes to the brutal mommy wars that seem to be never ending. That competitive mothering is now coming to TV, thanks to Lifetime. With the new show Pretty Wicked Moms, viewers have the opportunity to watch mommy wars unfold on the screen. Pretty Wicked Mom is set in the South- Atlanta, GA to be exact, and follows a diverse group of moms (while diverse, they all seem to have plenty of moolah) as they challenge one another, pass judgement, get catty, and try to one-up one one another with their mothering skills. It’s like all of the social media drama we see almost daily on TV. Grab the popcorn!
Tune in to watch parenting like you’ve never seen before with the first episode of Pretty Wicked Moms on Tuesday, June 4, at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Lifetime
As part of this post, I was asked to share time where another mom’s parenting style surprised me or was different from mine. Well, that isn’t hard. The hard part would be trying to narrow it down to a specific instance, so I won’t. I live in rural Alabama and things move slow around here. Most of my parenting choices even beginning with birth are viewed as odd.
While discussing my desire for a natural birth when I was pregnant with Bella, I often received eye-rolls and comments like “You’ll be begging for an epidural!” Once, I even received the “Well, bless your heart.” comment and if you are from the South, you know what that usually means. No hearts are being blessed, that’s for sure. Folks think I am crazy for standing against and refusing elective induction. While I’ll never tell another woman what to do with her body, I will always advocate for letting nature take it’s course unless medically necessary.
The same goes for breastfeeding. If you mention that you are nursing a 2 year old, eyes open wide and jaws drop. Again, I’ll always advocate for the most natural food, breastmilk, and encourage mamas to give nursing a try but I am not anti-formula. In fact, Bryson was formula fed after we ran into breastfeeding problems.
Another very touchy subject is car seat safety. I did everything wrong with Bryson, but now that I know better, I do better. When you mention to another parent, no matter how gently, that something is wrong with their car seat install or use, they quickly become defensive. It’s one of those things I seriously wrestle with often. Do I tell them their car seat is all wrong and that their child could be harmed in an accident because of that? How will they react? I’ve changed my approach over the years from being matter-of-fact and in your face to being caring and admitting my own faults. That seems to help, but not everyone accepts my advice.
What I’ve learned since becoming a mom is that there isn’t always a right and a wrong. What works for me may not work for you. And that’s okay. As moms, our days are tough enough, so we should spend our time encouraging one another, helping one another, and building one another up instead of tearing each other down.
It’s Gravy, Baby! aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.
Well said that for the most part there is no right or wrong way to parent. What works for some may not work for others. You can only follow your heart and do what you feel is right for your own unique child.
Amen! Parenting is hard enough without trying to live up to the expectations of others! I think you’re a great mom and I strive to so more of the activities you feature. I think that’s an important part of parenting – trying things that you see working for others, but not getting discouraged if they don’t work for you.