{Live} How to Deal with Pinsecurity
June 10, 2012 in All Posts, Parenting
Hi. My name is Chrissy. And I’m a Supermom.
(Did she really just say that?)
Yes, I did. And I’ll say it again. I’m a Supermom.
There’s no Supermom Myth.
I’m right here.
I take care of my kids as best I can. I take care of my family as best I can. I take care of myself as best I can. I manage it all. As best I can.
If that’s not super, I don’t know what is. And whether I blog about my brilliantly clean house or my pigsty, post photos of my child’s perfectly planned birthday or my epic crafting fail, publicly bemoan my children’s horrid behavior or claim to have parenting down pat, it doesn’t make one bit of difference in the equation.
* * *
The thought that fellow mom bloggers have to apologize for sharing their pretty photographs and informative or entertaining posts because they risk making other moms - including fellow bloggers - feel bad about themselves confounds me. That mom bloggers have to justify themselves with real-life flaw write ups detailing our unkempt houses or dirty kids in order to make ourselves somehow acceptable, or proudly proclaim that we are not actually Supermoms because saying that we are would make other moms feel bad, doesn’t make sense to me.
Why has something like seeing a beautifully inspirational photograph on Pinterest incited a nationwide wave of negativity and self-doubt among blogger and non-blogger moms alike instead of doing what it is intended to do: inspire us, motivate us, get us to dream?
There’s even a term for this deplorable, self-induced state when it’s “pinspired” by Pinterest: Pinsecurity.
Pinterest doesn’t make us insecure or incompetent as mothers.
Not having faith and confidence in ourselves and not loving ourselves and our fellow moms for who we are and what we do is what makes us feel like less than super moms.
If moms stopped selling ourselves short and stopped going “Mean Moms” on each other, we’d see that we are ALL awesome and super moms - bloggy or non-bloggy - just by being who we are.
Let’s stop apologizing for it, let go of the self-deprecation, and own it!
Repeat after me:
I am a Supermom and I am AWESOME.
You go, Moms.
*P.S. - I have plenty of wonderful bloggy friends who have posted on why they are not Supermoms, in response to Pinsecurity backlash. This post isn’t in any way a jab at them or their posts. I do think there is a value in showing those who feel insecure (or “pinsecure”) some behind-the-scenes moments instead of the incessant highlight reel. In fact, if you poke around here and my other blogs, you’ll see both my behind-the-scenes as well as the highlights. But what’s most maddening to me is the reason they feel they have to defend themselves - many times it’s because they have received negative comments on their blog posts, Pinterest pins or social media updates. To me, it’s not just uncalled for. It’s mean. If you read mom blogs or websites, you know that many of them - including mine - are either all highlight reel or contain the author’s best showcase snippets of her favorite accomplishments that she chooses to broadcast for her own personal reasons: whether it be wanting to show off, wanting to share, wanting to document, or wanting to publish something great for her readers’ enjoyment.
Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom said it best in the FAQ on her blog (so I won’t try to say it some new and clever way):
“Please keep in mind that on this blog I attempt to keep things very positive and showcase the best and prettiest things happening in my life … At the end of the day, blogs are a show. I suppose that’s why we like them so much.” - Gabrielle Blair, Design Mom
I couldn’t agree more.
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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.
[…] week’s feature is Chrissy. She is Supermom. No, really she is … and she even has an amazing blog post to prove it. The Outlaw Mom is a lawyer, turned SAHM, turned back to work … doing the […]
Well said - I couldn’t agree more!
This is perfect..and I agree. i like the idea that we’re all super mom. I need to get my own super cape made soon. At least then, I’ll match my son on all of our public outings. Super post, Super Mom!
Agree with everything you said completely. I did write a post about not being supermom, but it actually has nothing to do with defending myself or any pinsecurity backlash. I have actually had very little of that. My friends and parents do think I am supermom. I think everyone’s definition of being a super mom is different and to be honest, I don’t want to be supermom. I want to be me- a mom who is trying hard every day. I think it is ridiculous that some people are so mean to some of the moms we know and that they feel they need to showcase their imperfections for those people. Moms are awesome and as moms we need to band together and support each other and not bring each other down. There are plenty of other people who already do it to us, we shouldn’t do it to each other!
love it - well put. I don’t detail every singel tantrum on my blog because frankly who wants to read that (except maybe people who like watching East Enders).
Yes, yes, YES!! Bravo!! Thank you!! You said it, Sista!