There is so much pressure nowadays to be a "supermom". I have definitely felt it, and I think that the societal views of motherhood have definitely shifted over the past 5-10 years. We are expected to suck it up during pregnancy, have "beautiful" photos taken of our gigantic, swollen bodies, look gorgeous after having given birth, suck it up again when times get tough after we've gone home with our babies, make time for our husbands, pretend that we're taking enough time for ourselves, look more than put-together, take classes, work, do the housework, and somehow retain a shred of our sanity. Granted, I will say that the way in which post-partum depression (PPD) is dealt with not only from a medical standpoint, but also from a societal view, is much more progressive and open than it used to be. Thank goodness for that, because I think we all go a little crazy from the pressure that we're put under.
I have always been an over-achiever. When I was little, I was very competitive. I was continually striving to have the best marks, the most friends, the cutest clothes, best toys. Thankfully, I had a very smart older sister who I always struggled to keep up with, which kept me going. In the educational aspect, being an over-achiever was a good thing. It opened many doors for me when I hit the post-secondary years, and helped me from getting too bored with my classes. With Sprout, so far, I have held my own expectations and over-achieving attitude back. I don't want to give my daughter a complex as she grows up, or ever make her feel like she's inadequate or lagging behind. I have channeled it all into my expectations for myself as a mother...which brings me to our word of the day...
CRAFTING
I'm not the most visually artistic person. I'm really good with food presentation and photography, but I can't draw more than a stick person (my stick people are cute though, I have to admit). I didn't take Home Ec. in school, and had never set my hands or feet on a sewing machine until I got one two years ago for my birthday. Even then, the only project I made was a quilt for a friend's little girl. At the time, I couldn't sew in a straight line, so it was a very crooked (but cute) little pink blanket. When Sprout was born, my mother-in-law gave me a couple of handmade hooded baby towels, which quickly became our favourite post-bath baby cuddlers because of their large, fluffy nature. The towels you can buy in the store are too damn small! We only used them for the first 6 weeks until Sprout out-sprouted them, and then we switched to the big ones. They are constructed with a regular, adult-sized bath sheet and a facecloth, and then adorned with whatever (if any) embellishments you desire on the hood or otherwise. She showed me how to make them, and after a couple frustrating attempts, I began to spit them out in under a half-hour per towel. They are an awesome, super-inexpensive baby gift, and can be totally personalized! After that, I decided that I needed some more crafty crafts to do. The next project? Soother clips.
I can't believe what they charge for those pieces of shit in the fancy baby boutiques! All they are is a piece of ribbon (less than .10 for the size), a couple of snaps (the crappy ones have velcro), and a suspender clip. For 10 or 15 freaking dollars. So I bought a couple things and made a prototype. Less than 5 minutes this time, and voila! Well...after a few very botched attempts. I don't know if it will turn into anything, but I really enjoyed making them. The over-achiever/perfectionist in me just wants to keep going and make them cuter, and more perfect.
I never thought I'd be a mom at 24 who spends her free time sewing and making crafts, or baking and cooking...but...sigh. I like it. I just have to remind myself that I am NOT a supermom, nor do I have to be. If I don't feel like going for a walk every day, so be it. If I absolutely hate going to the gym, I'm not going to do it. I'll keep doing the things that I do to keep myself probably too busy, and take the time to relax when I need to. You have to find the things in life that keep you going, and distract you from the unrelenting chaos and pressure that come along with motherhood. Be careful though...sometimes you don't need a new hobby.
Going to plot how I'll make my millions off of baby stuff, Sprout.
xoxoxo
Mommy
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