Moms are tired. It’s a fact. They can be seen yawning in carpool and stretching in the grocery store. Some have been known to pull into a parking spot and catch a few zzzz’s when they have a quiet car (either because they are alone or their child has fantastically fallen asleep). It seems the dark circles and perennial fatigue is universal ... and is not just for moms of newborns.
In response to a Facebook.com post regarding this article, Emerald-Jane Hunter, a Chicago TV producer and owner of Emerald-Jane Productions, thinks moms are tired “because we are constantly on the go and our brains are constantly working even in our sleep. We are taking care of not only the kids but schedules and appointments and homework, etc. We seek out information constantly more than Dads and we just can’t ever stop. That’s why we’re tired and in my case ... I WORK too in a demanding industry at that. I’m tired just writing this.”
For Ms. Hunter, a mother of two working outside the home, the frantic "always playing catch up" pace is overwhelming at times.
But, moms who work outside the home don’t hold the monopoly on fatigue. Cree Davis, an Atlanta stay-at-home mother of two who also homeschools her children, responded to the same Facebook.com post with the idea that culturally, American moms don’t give each other the help they all need.
She writes, “We don’t have a close village of women to help, a village that understands the fact that we need each other ... Everyone is so busy these days. In society there is an expectation for a woman to do and be everything! In other countries, women depend on each other for help. They visit each other’s homes, teach and watch the kids, cook, and so much more. They don’t have to be everything and do everything for everyone. They understand the need for help!”
One thing stay-at-home moms and moms who work outside the home can agree on is that they are all tired. In a May, 2011 blog post for BabyCenter.com, Christina Montoya Fiedler, a Los Angeles-based mom who blogs at Mama to the Rescue, gave some great solutions to fight “mommy fatigue”.
Among other tips like learning to say “No” and getting out of the sweat suit routine, she urges moms to add a little spice to their life, writing, “Sex – Just do it. Literally. Most new parents, and seasoned parents for that matter, put this one on the back burner, because nothing is less sexy than baby barf and poo diapers. But even if you don’t feel like getting it on – you should. You’ll feel more connected and just all around happier. I promise there will be no complaints from either side.”
The fact that moms are tired comes as no surprise, but the idea that this can unite even very different moms could be exciting. Perhaps instead of the working mom versus stay-at-home mom debate, everyone can just go take a nap.
Sources:
Interview with Emerald-Jane Hunter and Cree Davis via Facebook.com. 14, September, 2011.
“7 Ways to Combat Mom Fatigue”. Web. 14, September, 2011. http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/7-ways-to-combat-mom-fatigue
Edited by Jody Smith