Slacker Mom

I'm three chapters into my latest summer read, Confessions of a Slacker Mom. I picked it up from the summer reading promo pile at the public library on a whim. To be honest, I was skeptical that there would be anything it worthwhile - after all, the cover showed a woman's legs in high heels (yick!) and I was sure it would be another mothering guilt trip courtesy of the publishing industry. And the author's name didn't give me a warm feeling inside. ("MUFFY?" Please tell me it's a pseudonym!)

But there was a pleasant surprise between the book's covers...

...On advertising...
"You know that if you've got television, you've got somebody incessantly telling you, over and over, without reprieve (yes, I'm being redundant - just emphasizing one of the most important ways we all know marketing works) that you've got to have a certain brand of, say, diapers. It's hard not be convinced when they show you the droves of babies who've achieved total satisfaction from these diapers."

...On mother guilt...
"Why do advertisers think this kind of guilt-driven message will work with moms? I don't see them speaking this way to fathers, I really don't. Are we mothers that insecure? Is that how we get talked into such harebrained things as abdomen-phones [Deb here - Abdomen-phones are the headphones being marketed to wear on your belly?" while pregnant to let your baby 'hear' Mozart and other supposedly brain-enhancing music...]

...On toys...
"Have you ever notice that when a toy does more, the kid playing with it does less? ...What is learned playing Game Boy other than how to play Game Boy?"

Ahhh.... A kindred spirit!

A mom who cares more about her kids than scrapbooking their latest activity (nothing wrong with scrapbooking, it's just not my personal choice for my leisure time!) A mom who doesn't sign her child up for every tutoring group/sports team/creative arts lesson so that they can be the next Einstein/Rodman/Picasso. A mom who had common sense, practical parents from the Midwest.

So as we spend time this summer at the pool (not swim team practice) or at the park (not soccer camp), and as we lounge and read (not SAT prep) I will enjoy every moment. We'll have productive work like math packets to do, and a summer school class or too. But that is not the focus of summertime. The years are flying. Next year it's 6th and 10th grade studies (not to mention my seminary classes!) I'm enjoying the brief lull in our lives until the tsunami of fall events hits.

ME? A Slacker mom? Yup. And proud of it!

From our home to yours,
Deb