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Wednesday, 04 June 2008 17:00 |
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"It"s a good thing" is a mouthful for a new generation of
working mothers
Poor Martha. For five long months she will be forced to leave
all her “good things” behind as she serves her sentence in
federal prison for obstruction of justice. While Martha
Stewart"s recent run-in with the law is nothing to gloat about,
it can be seen as a kind of vindication for mothers everywhere.
It demonstrates in a rather spectacular fashion that while
maintaining perfection at work and at home is a commendable
goal, it is about as realistic as wanting a toddler who changes
his own diapers.
While they grew up with the mantra "You can have it all," many
women are realizing that being a loving wife, a wise and gentle
mother, and successful business woman is more than they can
handle. Unlike their mother"s who struck a blow for feminism by
joining the work force, the most recent generation of mothers
finds itself trapped in a web of feminist ideals and feminine
pursuits.
Old-fashioned values are all the rage with countless magazines
and television programs detailing how to make absolutely
everything from scratch. Gone are the days when a working mother
could pat herself on the back for managing to get a TV dinner on
the table to feed her hungry brood. If it isn"t a gourmet meal
made from organic vegetables grown in her garden, today"s
working mom feels strangely inadequate. If Martha can make her
own Christmas ornaments, and seventeen kinds of cookies while
running a business empire, the underlying sentiment seems to be,
why can"t I?
With Martha"s public stumble, however, mothers everywhere can
breath a collective sigh of relief. Perhaps when it comes to
juggling work and family, perfection is only an illusion and
women can cut themselves a little more slack. Remember, it"s
only "a good thing" if you have the time and energy to enjoy it.
Here are 5 ways to break the Martha Habit:
1. Take your kids to the store, let them choose a bag of
cookies, and don"t look at the ingredients. Once at home, give a
cookie to each child and have one yourself. Pour a glass of
milk, and revel in the fact that your kitchen is not covered in
flour and that there are no dishes to clean.
2. Get your blood pumping once a week. No offense Martha, but
while making your own truffles can be divine, it doesn"t leave a
whole lot of time to stay in shape. Try an activity that will
make you feel like a kid again, like line-dancing, Hip-Hop or
Yoga.
3. Despite the hype, most crafts aren"t cheap or easy. If you
feel your blood pressure rising when you contemplate the amount
of time and money you"ve spent on a project, you should
reconsider the whole endeavor. Next time accept that a candle
from the dollar store burns just as brightly as one you"ve
molded yourself.
4. If your child is in more than 2 after school activities,
think about canceling them. To stop over-scheduling yourself,
you must first stop over-scheduling your children.
5. Take a team approach. Your kids would prefer a piniata of a
lopsided fish to a perfect replica of a Disney character as long
as they got to squish the papier-macher through their little
fingers. It doesn"t have to look perfect to be perfect as far as
kids are concerned, so relax and get them involved in what
you"re doing.
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