by Kate Sawtschuk
You’re scrolling through Facebook (in the two minute window you have while your kids are destroying some part of the house) and you see a hilarious meme or poignant article that you can relate to. It makes you feel that you’re part of the collective experience of parenthood, that you’re not alone.
But in the “it takes a village to raise a child” sense, you are alone. I consider it to be a privilege to be in my comfortable little family bubble and spend precious time with my kids, but it can be isolating.
It’s the modern condition for a lot of parents. Your other mum friends are equally busy with their own kids, your childless friends think you’re on another planet, grandparents have sporadic involvement (if you’re lucky) and you and your partner exist in a somewhat solitary and intense world with your children.
Inevitably, the internet plays a crucial role for mums in providing connection and information, such as this lovely community of RDMs. It helps us to construct our own “village”.
Parenting websites can be part of an immediate support system. They can provide solidarity through humour, shared experiences and information, as well as light relief from a full-on day!
So the next time you feel detached from society at large (well, you can’t even walk into half of shops with a pram, and the question “what do you do all day?” still hangs in the air where stay at home mums are concerned), check out the links below. Not everything on these sites may appeal to you, but they could give you some perspective and shed light on the unattainable standards of so called parenting perfection!
Ramblin’ Mama, The Outnumbered Mother and Sammiches and Psych Meds: These sites share very funny and relatable memes and articles about the everyday experience of being a mum.
Perfection Pending and The Reformed Idealist Mom: These blogs share articles about interesting parenting topics, with an emphasis on being ‘recovering perfectionists’ and that parents struggle with many of the same things each day.
Scary Mommy: This site shares diverse articles, all with the common themes that parenting doesn’t have to be perfect and that we are “unique women, united by motherhood”.
Bunmi Laditan: Bunmi writes brilliant, witty and hilarious snippets about her experience of motherhood. Her insights into motherhood are spot on!
Like A Queen, Constance Hall: Blogger Constance Hall has gained popularity by sharing her raw truths of parenting, covering topics such as body image, pregnancy and motherhood. Her posts are always entertaining!
