I adore being a Mommy, on most days, but the terms that some people use to refer to us can be pretty condescending. But maybe they just don't realize how insulting they're being.
Allow me to clear it up a bit.
Letâs start with the word that I hate the most, and I do not use it ever. This is my instantaneous, see red, fighting word. There is only one that's worse, but I can't use it in the presence of you ladies.
Sanctimommy: Holy shit! This word is dripping with angst. It supposedly is in reference to a sanctimonious mom, a holier than thou mom, if you will. Translation: Her shit doesnât stink. Bree Van de Kamp, is that you? A mom calling another mom by this dreadful name is as horrific as a man calling a woman a bitch. Either way, do not EVER call a mom by this term. If sheâs raising and loving kids, she deserves way more respect than to be called by such a despicable term.
Soccer Mom: Seems innocent enough, a mom of a lovely child who plays soccer. However, it infers a crazy, sideline screaming, overbearing monster who is obsessed with her child. Not nice.
M.I.L.F.: Really? How disrespectful is it to call the females who perpetuate the species by a name that infers nothing more than a sperm receptacle. Worse still, theyâve sold us this B.S. and we actually feel flattered to be called M.I.L.F. Iâve got a word for people who use this word: Disrespectful! Would you want someone thinking of your mama as a M.I.L.F.? A saint maybe but not a piece of a*@.
Dance Mom/Cheer Mom: My girls dance. I am supportive of all their dreams. This is what moms do. I donât scream at their inabilities. I donât ask for special treatment for my girls. We go to class. We audition. We show up and we work hard. I support. If boundaries are ever crossed and my daughters are ever put in a compromising position, we quit. Mom should not be used as a dirty word.
Stage Mom: Stage mom infers a crazy lady on the side of the stage, behind the scenes making everybodyâs life hell because she thinks her baby is a star. Sing out Louise!
Breeder: This term makes me want to punch somebody in the mouth. I have become pregnant twice and delivered two beautiful, healthy children. I am blessed. I am not a breeder. We are not dogs, used solely for cranking out offspring. It is rude, disrespectful, and reduces women to being vessels of birth and nothing more.
Stay-at-Home Mom: Why do we need to designate where we are when we work or donât work? Because you stay at home doesnât make you a better mother than if you work outside of the home. Some women are not afforded the luxury of staying home with their kids all day. Itâs not whether you work and where you do it from that makes you a great mom; itâs how much you love your children and the quality of your time together. P.S. SAHMs work; don't let the name confuse you.
Helicopter Mom: Inciting images of hovering, buzzing, and never taking lift-off. Mommies who chew their kidâs food up and spit it in their kidâs mouths so they donât choke. Mommies who leash their kids. Mommies who never let their babies take a risk. I know itâs supposed to be a negative term, but I embrace it.
Crunchy Mom: I, personally, thought this was a compliment because when I think of âcrunchy,â I think of all natural. I think organic foods, homemade baby food, breastfeeding, placenta eating, cloth diaper, co-sleeping, and sling wearing awesomeness. Hell, this is who I want to be.
Bottom line: live and let live. Itâs hard enough being a mom. Do we really need to turn on one another and be reduced to calling one another names to make ourselves feel better? We need sisterhood through motherhood. Stop being a judgy mom and stop with the name-calling.
What's the mommy term that you dislike the most?
Image via Genealogy/Flickr
