• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

What “Bad Moms” Taught Me About Our Need To Be Good

August 21, 2016 by Guest Writer

While watching Bad Moms there were times when I cackled with glee and scenes when I dabbed my eyes. Was it the greatest movie of all time? No, but it resonated with me deeply.

Mila Kunis leads a rebel group of moms who decide to stop trying so hard to be perfect. They ditch PTA meetings, bring store-bought cookies to the bake sale, and get drunk on weeknights. There are hilarious moments of these women giving the finger to queen bee mom [played by Christina Applegate] and defying what it means to be a good mom.

The movie got a few things very right. First, the importance of finding likeminded women who you can lean on. There are countless times when I rely on my close friends to keep me sane. We share stories about our kids, our husbands, what drives us crazy and what keeps us going. They lift me up. They keep me laughing. They put things in perspective and I hope I help do the same.

Second, the movie highlighted how we’re all quick to judge. Whether you’re the ragged stay-at-home mom, the always running late high-powered lawyer mom, the perfectly coiffed PTA president, or the one who just doesn’t seem to care, the truth is there’s a lot beneath the surface.

We’re each struggling and striving. We all feel highs and lows. We don’t know who has a cheating husband, who is overwhelmed by a health problem, who is in the midst of a financial crisis. Bad Moms certainly made fun of the stereotypes but also showed how misleading the stereotypes truly are.

Third, no matter what kind of supermom you are, there are times you want to scream “I quit!” We have our good days when we cradle our children in our arms and think about how precious every second is. And then we have our bad days.

Most recently, my normally sweet and happy son woke up in the morning and instantly slapped me across the face. Twice. Suffice to say that was the best part of the day. I desperately wanted to hand him over to anyone who would take him and run away. I thought longingly of the days when I only had to care for myself. But then I woke up the next day, and I was greeted by two kisses on the lips. And suddenly, I was elated.

And finally, where Bad Moms really hit home is our desire to be good. To be good wives, mothers, housekeepers, workers, friends, sisters, and daughters. To look sexy, but still appropriate. To appear upbeat and positive, energetic and resourceful, sweet and funny. Many women, but especially moms, crave validation. We want the gold stars, the pats on the back, the approving nods. We want to be told we’re doing a great job. Our kids are succeeding because of us.

But parenting doesn’t include an annual performance review. We need to be our own judges and reflect on how we’re doing. One day we could feel proud but the next we can feel like a failure. And most of the time we have no idea how we’re doing and hold our breaths until we see how our kids turn out.

During the past eighteen months, I’m struck by how little influence I feel like I have as a mother. My son has a distinct personality. He is independent and strong-willed. He is confident and opinionated. I nurture him, guide him, and teach him along the way but I don’t think his behavior is necessarily a direct reflection on my parenting. He is who he is and he will be, who he will be. Of course I want to inject morality and ethics. I want to support him as he grows up, but I’m learning that my report card doesn’t come in the mail once I see where he goes to college, what career he chooses or whom he marries. Those are his decisions.

It is up to us as mothers to do the best we can, and learn when not to care what others think. Because, like in Bad Moms, at the end of the day none of us really know what we’re doing. So instead of judging, let’s be in this together.

Miriam Levine is a freelance writer based in New York City. She is the Founder and Managing Editor of www.ForwardFemales.com

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About Guest Writer

Guest posts are written by moms, dads, experts, novices, freelancers, and people just like you. We love to hear new voices because we all have something to say...

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Great news! Nursing moms are getting a new tax break from … [Read More...] about Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

Soothe Red and Irritated Skin After a Brazilian Wax

How to Soothe Red and Irritated Skin After a Brazilian Wax

fade hair color quickly

How to Fade Hair Color Quickly

Cover a Pork Roast

Should You Cover a Pork Roast & Add Liquid When Baking?

Clean the Smell From the Inside of a Leather Jacket

How to Clean the Smell From the Inside of a Leather Jacket

Use Frozen Bananas for Baking

How to Use Frozen Bananas for Baking

abdominal discomfort during first trimester of pregnancy

Abdominal Discomfort During First Trimester of Pregnancy

Repair Scratches in Glass Tabletops

How to Repair Scratches in Glass Tabletops

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2023 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.