To get down to business, I am writing in response to an article by Emily Matchar that is making a ripple in the Mormon community. It is, in a nutshell, about Mormon Mommy blogs and some of the people who are fascinated by them. (I would recommend skimming this article before reading further here.) This article made me wonder if this blog here would be considered a Mormon Mommy blog. Well, I can definitively tell you that, after perusing through a few of the blogs mentioned specifically in the article, my blog does not fall into this category. Ha ha. Never in a million years would this blog fall into that category. Yet, here I am responding. Here are a few thoughts:
(1) The truth is, I do have plenty in common with the bloggers of these Mommy blogs. I am a faithful and enthusiastic member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I cook. I sew. I make my own jam and can it, too. I'm a stay-at-home mom. I have a super-human compulsion to be thin. (Or at least thinner than I am.) The huge difference I see is that in my blog, you will find posts that include the above-mentioned exchange with my daughter. Here, you will also find interesting tidbits such as my son's usual diet ('Ucky Charms, tofu, and snot); how not to potty-train your toddler (or how to find Judd-pies all over the house); and why camping is totally inferior to sleeping in your bed at home (sleeping on the ground, not in a shelter--are you kidding me?).
(2) I'm not so convinced that this genre of blogging is unique to Mormon housewives. Martha Stewart and subsequent wannabes have made homemaking an insanely popular pursuit. I don't think it's just the Mormons who are participating in this!
(3) Ms. Matchar makes a point of the fact that she is highly educated, feminist, and atheist, thereby distinguishes herself from the authors of these blogs. I believe it is folly to believe that because a person chooses to stay at home with the kids and excel in her domestic pursuits, this person is a simpleton. I know plenty of "highly educated" housewives, myself included. Feminist? Ok, so let's be frank. How many American women are there who aren't, in some way, feminist? I think the majority of us are going to demand the same pay as our male counterparts in the workplace. (Please no one post comments regarding feminist theory--I totally won't read them.) So, Ms. Matchar, to what are you referring? Are you maybe trying to say that housewifery is inferior to non-housewifery? Feminists don't engage in stay-at-home-mom-ing? I also know some feminists who are stay-at-home moms, so that premise doesn't work, either. So far, to me, the only distinguishing characteristic between Ms. Matchar and Mormon Mommies is that you are an atheist. Let's be frank, though. Ms. Matchar is only in her twenties. She has plenty of life left for that to change.
That's my two cents' worth. It's late and I've devoted too much time to this post. Time to get back to making awesome home-crafted stuff. Here's a photo of my awesome kids.
3 comments:
Very interesting post. You are the Sherri Dew of Mormon Mommy Bloggers.
Mr. F., not quite sure what that means. Back in the day, comparison to Ms. Dew would have been code for "you'll be single forever." Sherri Dew, huh? I'll have to ponder on that one. . .
Here's to the rest of us Mormon mom bloggers! I'm not chic enough or gushy enough to fit in with the cool Mormon mom bloggers who are followed by more than their kids' grandmas and a handful of friends. And I know quite a few Mormon mom bloggers who get annoyed with those who do not appear to "keep it real" about life as a stay-at-home mom. Then again, it's always surprising to me when people are shocked that people like to be around their own kids and find a little joy in the midst of all the work. There's more to say, but I'll leave it there.... :)
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