7 Kinds Of Moms – Which One Are You
Image: iStock
Mothers have always held an exalted place. It is the most indisputable position. But no two mothers are alike despite their dedication and care for their children. Every mom wants to be the best. She can walk the extra mile for her children. She makes every effort to be the best mom.
The problem area, however, is the comparison they make with other moms. They identify other’s strengths as their weaknesses and vice versa. They wonder whether they are at their optimal best.
The truth is that for the most part, they would not change the inherent personalities they carry which also reflect in the way they parent their children.
Honestly, there are different ways to be a mom. Read on to see if you identify with any of these types:
1. The strict mom
It sounds being dictatorial. But no mother is domineering at her heart. Her sole intention is to instil some discipline in her children. She might start off disciplining her kids at a very young age when most other moms take it easy. Eating on time, playing on time, studying and sleeping on time, table-manners, behavior, punctuality, politeness, taking care of personal belongings, being organized are just a few of the things she might indoctrinate her children when they are barely four or five years of age. She might sound rigid. At times she may lay curfew if she deems it necessary for her children. She might also be careful about whom her children mingle with. Kids would still love her because she would be full of admiration for them when they are good.
2. The touchy mom
Some moms love to be touchy. Their days are incomplete without giving their children warm cuddles. They give random hugs to their kids, before going to school, after coming from school, and before going to bed. These moms are very gentle and display the perfect cushion-effect when their kids feel sad about anything. Kids don’t hesitate to tell her their deepest fears and insecurities. The weak point, however, is that these moms find it a bit hard to be strict when they have to put their foot down or when there is a need to correct their children.
3. The cool mom
This mom is no less than a teenager herself who loves to revel in just about every fun activity. She is like a kid in the company of her children. She would want to take her kids out to the best gigs, hang out at ice-cream parlors, treat her children with candies and slurpies at every outing; she can have her house rock with music just as much as she would enjoy her car booming with the latest punk fusion. She would be the first to hit the dance floor and even lead her children to shake a leg with her. She is tech savvy and keeps herself abreast of all the gadgets that her children are gaining expertise in. What’s more, she is also a friend of her kids’ friends and knows what they are up to. And she wears clothes that make her look so cool – just like a student.
4. The neo-hippie mom
She seems to have the crunchy quality about her as she loves doing everything the organic way. She shuns the mainstream ways and commercial products and so keeps her children out of it. She might as well home-school her children, want to live on a farm far away from the city-life, she might offer her children bell peppers for a treat. She wouldn’t approve of her children using shampoos or soaps, so much so that she might have her concoction of sea-salts and soap suds for a bath. Her remedial measures for her children’s health would also include ingestible herbal concoctions. She would be a staunch vegetarian or a vegan.
5. The scruffy mom
Not all moms are spic and span. If you thought that the mom you bumped into the other day at the supermarket was wearing a plain and mismatched pair of shoes, the chances are she is just scruffier at her home than you can imagine. Her home would be a total mess any time you want to pay a surprise visit. She might be in the same pair of sweatshirt and tracks for several days in a row. Taking a shower is the best retreat she can have in days. Her washing machine is running once or twice a week because that is how often her clothes don’t pile up there. Her children are the type who go to school with wrong backpacks (swapped with siblings) which also carry the stale luncheon, and they wear unpolished shoes with stinky socks. They could have breakfast cereals for dinner. The days when they don’t have little accidents at home or when the iron box doesn’t burn out their clothes are the best accomplished days.
6. The motivating mom
She doesn’t need to pompom to stand or dance as a cheerleader for her children. This mom will never miss her children’s sporting event or a ballet festival. She would vie for the front seat and hoot from there as loud as possible so it’s not only her kids but rest of the audiences who can hear her. She will try defending her children by all means – even if it means to have a spat with the referee. Could create quite the ruckus out of nowhere, but hey, here’s how she encourages you in everything you want to do. In the face of defeat, she would still keep you motivated by offering you treats with gentle words that make up for the loss and inspire you to take the challenge again.
7. The lazy mom
This mom loves her children. But she cannot move her ass from that damn chair. She doesn’t want to cook, doesn’t want to give them a bath or doesn’t want to help them with their homework, but just lay there watching her favorite soap opera. She would ask her kids to help themselves with some peanut butter and bread until she finally can spring out and cook some food that would be good to go for the next three days in a row. The richest part of the house will be the fridge and storage area full of frozen foods. Yes, she will need a maid and a babysitter to save her day and that of her children.
We all have been there donning different hats as different mother incarnations on different days. At the end of the day, we strive to care for our children. The bottom line is that our children are a reflection of our parenting ways. If they are successful and are well-accepted in the society, there is no reason why you would have failed as a mother.
