Reflections by Ms. Bee
Mother’s day. On the second Sunday in May, we Americans recognize our mothers. But what does it really mean to be a mother? How do I know that I am a good mother, a mother worthy of thanks and appreciation? During my pregnancy I looked nothing like Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. I didn’t adopt orphans from third world countries like Angelina Jolie or Madonna. Unlike Marissa Mayer, Yahoo! CEO, I was not so dedicated to my career that I returned to work just a couple weeks after giving birth. In the recent award-winning, based-on-a-true-story movie, “The Impossible,” the mother drags herself, bleeding and injured, through muddy, hurricane-torn Thailand, determined to save not only her children but also the children of others. Mothers are held to lofty standards and are presented with a jumble of mixed messages: Pursuing a career outside the home means being a good role model for your children. Putting your career aside to care for your children 24/7 is the responsible thing to do. Breastfeed. Don’t breastfeed in public. A clean and organized home is the only way to raise a family. Make time to play with, read to, and eat with your children every day. Create opportunities for your children to socialize with other children their age. Protect your children from negative peers and bullies. Immunize and protect your children from germs and infection. Allow your children to naturally build up their immune systems. Children must learn good work ethics; give them chores. Children should be allowed to dedicate their time to their studies. Video games poison the brain and create a thirst for violence. Video games promote eye-had coordination. Protect your children from failure. Teach your children how to handle failure. Love is all a child needs. Expect success from your child, be a “Tiger Mother.” Argh! All the do’s and don’ts are enough to drive any mother mad! It is amazing that mothers continue to raise children successfully despite the bombardment of external expectations. So what does it really mean to be a “good” mother? Let’s preserve our sanity and not allow the conflicting messages from books, movies, and the web dictate who we are. To be “good” is relative. Look in the mirror. Admire your children. Create your own definition. Happy mother’s day.
Mother’s day. On the second Sunday in May, we Americans recognize our mothers. But what does it really mean to be a mother? How do I know that I am a good mother, a mother worthy of thanks and appreciation? During my pregnancy I looked nothing like Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. I didn’t adopt orphans from third world countries like Angelina Jolie or Madonna. Unlike Marissa Mayer, Yahoo! CEO, I was not so dedicated to my career that I returned to work just a couple weeks after giving birth. In the recent award-winning, based-on-a-true-story movie, “The Impossible,” the mother drags herself, bleeding and injured, through muddy, hurricane-torn Thailand, determined to save not only her children but also the children of others. Mothers are held to lofty standards and are presented with a jumble of mixed messages: Pursuing a career outside the home means being a good role model for your children. Putting your career aside to care for your children 24/7 is the responsible thing to do. Breastfeed. Don’t breastfeed in public. A clean and organized home is the only way to raise a family. Make time to play with, read to, and eat with your children every day. Create opportunities for your children to socialize with other children their age. Protect your children from negative peers and bullies. Immunize and protect your children from germs and infection. Allow your children to naturally build up their immune systems. Children must learn good work ethics; give them chores. Children should be allowed to dedicate their time to their studies. Video games poison the brain and create a thirst for violence. Video games promote eye-had coordination. Protect your children from failure. Teach your children how to handle failure. Love is all a child needs. Expect success from your child, be a “Tiger Mother.” Argh! All the do’s and don’ts are enough to drive any mother mad! It is amazing that mothers continue to raise children successfully despite the bombardment of external expectations. So what does it really mean to be a “good” mother? Let’s preserve our sanity and not allow the conflicting messages from books, movies, and the web dictate who we are. To be “good” is relative. Look in the mirror. Admire your children. Create your own definition. Happy mother’s day.
Follow HCTF on social media for more parenting and prevention tips: www.facebook.com/HawaiiCTF and @Hawaiictf on twitter!
No comments:
Post a Comment