A couple of weeks ago I was reading this article in the Courier Mail: Mums in fashion wars at school pickup. It made me dwell a little on the concept of Yummy Mummies that is often splashed around the media. The article talks about the competition between Mothers while waiting to pick up children from school. Apparently there is a war between Yummy Mummies (ie. those who are glamorously dressed in trendy clothes) and Slummy Mummies (ie. those who are dressed in tracksuit pants and t-shirts). I had to laugh when I was reading the article as it sounded like something from an American teen movie. However, many Mothers feel the need to continually look glamorous,like movie stars, to feel valued in society. As if Mums need more pressure!
According to the Urban Dictionary (yes, there is such a thing), a Yummy Mummy is a Mother who is attractive, wears trendy clothes, has a great hairstyle and always looks fabulous. Well, for me, I score very low out of those five qualifying traits. My husband thinks I’m attractive (just as well…hehe), I love to dress nicely but I do not keep up with the current trends, I have a hair cut every 6 months and as for always looking fabulous, I have to admit to occasionally dropping the children to school in my pajamas and often in shorts and t-shirt. By all means, a Mum should make an effort in their appearance; however, it should be remembered what Motherhood is really about.
When I became a Mother for the first time I was shocked how people viewed me. I heard myself saying, “Just a Mum,” when asked about my profession. I also felt the pressure to return to work. It was insinuated to me that if you chose to be a stay at home Mum (SAHM) it somehow meant you were too unintelligent to return to work. I have always passionately valued the role of Motherhood very highly, but it seems like society doesn’t. Society says, Motherhood is not enough, you must have more. From the pressure for a Mother’s post baby body to return miraculously to the ‘right’ shape to the need to always appear glamorous, Mothers have many issues to battle that detract from what is really important.
What happened to the value of investing time in the people you love the most? What job could be more rewarding? For me, being a Mother is both of these things combined; a rewarding God-given job yielding me the opportunity to invest my love and time in the people I care for the most. As for the pressure to be a Yummy Mummy? I just be myself and try not to be influenced in the fads and pressures around me, allowing me to focus on what is really important; the role of raising my children to the best of my ability with God’s help.
As for competition at the school gate; I am not won over by how people look. Instead, I love watching the Mothers who give their children a big kiss and hug hello before asking them about their day.
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I completely agree that society does not value the job of a Mom, and especially other women in the work field can be the harshest. I raised 4 step-daughters, and as step-mom, it’s much tougher in the sense that you do a lot of Mom work without credit, plus no credit from society to boot. Now I am working with all of them raised and time to focus. I know that even if I happen to have great success in my business career, I know that on my death bed, it will be my efforts as a step-mom that I will be the most proud of. Sometimes, the only thing you can do as a Mom, is pat yourself on the back!
Wow so true Kell! Reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me about – she works for Morrison, an Australian designer who’s clothes are SUPER $$$ (think $200+ for a singlet top!), a big spender client will come in and once they’ve purchased in excess of $3000 per one transaction (sometimes up to $50,000 per annum!!), they’ll tell her that if ‘so & so’ comes in wanting the latest looks, don’t show her anything that they’ve bought because they want to be the only one wearing it first day back of school – after school’s been back for 4 weeks you can show them…… That’s just in Melbourne & not celebrity land!!
John Piper preaches a ripper sermon at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/210/Video/ about Honouring the Biblical Call of Motherhood – that it is an amazing, glorious calling!! And I agree!
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