Ostensibly, this has nothing to do with math. But it is good Mojo.
Ayelet Waldman has written a book called “Bad Mother.”
I read this post on a blog about how to market not-for-profit businesses (something which MathMojo wasn’t designed to be, but has been for much too long a time). The post is about the good-mother/bad-mother false paradigm.
A lot of MathMojo readers are moms trying to help their children (and/or themselves) learn math. If I can help a mom feel better about herself (or at least have a good laugh) by pointing her to these posts, I’ll have fulfilled my daily quota for good mojo.
So check out the link above, and then check out the post and the YouTube video at:
http://sandinmyswimsuit.blogspot.com/2009/05/naming-names.html
(The opening scene of the video had me laughing uncontrollably.)
Obviously, I’m not a mom, which goes to prove that you don’t have to be a mom (or a woman) to appreciate those posts. You just have to know, or have known a mom.
I’m a middle aged guy, and I know I’ll be getting that book for my mom.
Wow, so not those moms. My description of a good mom is pretty much the video’s description of a good dad. My description of a neurotic crazy person who has no business caring for a child is the video’s description of a good mother.
My nearly-4 year old son has survived day care and public pre-k, has only had a couple play dates in his lifetime (we mostly go to the park and crash into the other 20+ kids that are there), eats whole grain bread at our house, and canned pears when he’s at school. He’s been vaccinated and so far isn’t autistic (although, it’s a fine line between boy behavior and Autism “lite”).
Music and dance class: listening to the Beatles, Vivaldi and the Pogues
Art class: fingerpainting with ketchup
Math: number of peas eaten + mommy’s attitude = number of cookies he’ll get
Literacy: books read on the potty and before bed
School enhances all that. I’d love to be a work-from-home mom, but I’d still put him in school because they’re more patient than I am and someone actually trained them to do their job.
My favorite moments are when he’s courageous, the hero, or a pterodactyl. I’m pretty certain that if I want him to be able to be an astronaut, race car driver, world-class chef, or an inventor, we’ll both have to take risks.
Professor Homunculus sez:
Hey, Souffle, great to see you at the Chronicles! Yeah, something told me you wouldn’t be one of those kinds of moms! I imagine Dave goes a tad beyond the description of the minimalistic good dad, too!
Hoskeebo!
I hope you know how lucky you “bad moms” are to be able to say this out loud, in print, on e-mail, etc.
etc.
Imagine being a “bad mom” in the 50″s when even thinking this way made your feel confused, guilty and really BAD! How much easier my life would have been with just a little support! Shout it out!!!!!
Keep on shouting!!!