As a mother of nine children, I often got similar disparaging comments. My reply was, "I'm raising these children to be the people who will pay into your old-age pensions!" We need children in our society!!
Ricki GibbonsDecember 18, 2024
Mother of 9 here and married 50 years. Some things never change. When my children were young I would be asked, usually at my husband's company Christmas party, "Do you work?". I began answering, "Probably harder than you!", and laughing. As a woman with an honors BA degree in Russian (of all things!) I chose my life. And am grateful and blessed. Thank you for this well written article.
MeganDecember 18, 2024
I was touched by the direction this article took. It is rare to see motherhood celebrated and pursued with such focus and reverence. However, one aspect of social-media motherhood that is overlooked is the curation of only the best and most beautiful moments, especially when that duration becomes monetized. Bloggers don't usually succeed unless they stoke envy, which encourages us to continue our consumption of their feed. I became a mother at the dawn of blogging, and had my second and most devastating of three rounds of PPD at the height of the Mommy Bloggers. The idealized depiction of motherhood was excruciating to someone trapped in a spiral of depression, rage, exhaustion, and terror. A close friend became a famous blogger for a portrayal of motherhood that turned out to be largely untrue and heavily edited. The affect on me was devastating. I love that so many women wish to portray parenthood as a holy and fulfilling thing. But showing near-impossible standards as their every day lives, without showing us the realism or even the really difficult moments, can be so harmful to regular people with regular struggles who now think they're failing because their lives don't reflect that sanitized, curated ideal.
Joni HiltonDecember 16, 2024
Brava! People are not buying the outdated, tired message that women should choose everything else over motherhood. Great article!
GTODecember 16, 2024
Fantastic article by a great writer with a brilliant mind.
HelenCDecember 16, 2024
LOL; T. Carpenter "Stole my thunder" on that amazing quote!
That being said, this is why I have always preferred to be known as an "independent female" rather than a feminist. the "-ist" smacks way too much of the "-ites" mentioned in 4 Nephi 1:17
"There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God."
C. CarlsonDecember 16, 2024
Beautiful, inspiring story! Thank you!
Cody HoskissonDecember 16, 2024
I am a woman. I have two children and I fully intend on having at least 4 more, God willing. You perfectly summed up how I feel about the vocal minority in this country when you said, “it would seem feminism only includes a woman’s right not to have a child”. Fortunately, I have discovered that they are indeed the minority. When you go out into the real world and talk to real people, you quickly discover that the vast majority of people around you are nice and honestly want to be nice and even if they have a differing opinion, they can still cheer you on in your opinion.
Your article also drove home to me a fact that has been slowly dawning in my mind: you can choose to see the positive in the things that happen everyday. Having two kids, I can say that motherhood is often exhausting, yet this woman chooses to post positive and uplifting content about her eight children. She could choose to focus on the thousands of things that must go awry everyday, but instead she focuses on the blessings she sees everywhere and makes the world a brighter place by sharing about them. So thank you for that improved perspective as well!
Linda K. SpoonerDecember 16, 2024
I truly love Meridian Magazine. Yes, I subscribed last year and will again this year. I have learned a great deal from your magazine. Thank you.
Linda
Linda K. SpoonerDecember 16, 2024
I cannot tell you how much I love this post. I normally don't read such syrupy type stuff, but the title hit me. I never expected to end up where I did. On a piece of land with a milk cow and 3 kids. Not ever. It brought back memories flying into my head and heart. This showed me I was not crazy or demented as my mother thought of me. I am not alone. I would have loved having my husband to enjoy this but alas that couldn't be. I am bipolar and that ruined my enjoyment of what you had. Being bipolar and having separation angst and making decisions on my own did not mix. It was the 1970's and I did not know what to do to get help. I am going to start following this ballerina. Thank you so much for this article. It gave me strength to visit that part of my life. Yes, thank you. Linda
T. CarpenterDecember 16, 2024
"That is feminism. Women supporting women in pursuing excellence and actualization in every sphere and not always rushing to say one form of excellence threatens another by its very existence."
I love that paragraph. I pray that we, all the women of the world, achieve that some day.
Comments | Return to Story
Mary-Rose McMullinDecember 19, 2024
As a mother of nine children, I often got similar disparaging comments. My reply was, "I'm raising these children to be the people who will pay into your old-age pensions!" We need children in our society!!
Ricki GibbonsDecember 18, 2024
Mother of 9 here and married 50 years. Some things never change. When my children were young I would be asked, usually at my husband's company Christmas party, "Do you work?". I began answering, "Probably harder than you!", and laughing. As a woman with an honors BA degree in Russian (of all things!) I chose my life. And am grateful and blessed. Thank you for this well written article.
MeganDecember 18, 2024
I was touched by the direction this article took. It is rare to see motherhood celebrated and pursued with such focus and reverence. However, one aspect of social-media motherhood that is overlooked is the curation of only the best and most beautiful moments, especially when that duration becomes monetized. Bloggers don't usually succeed unless they stoke envy, which encourages us to continue our consumption of their feed. I became a mother at the dawn of blogging, and had my second and most devastating of three rounds of PPD at the height of the Mommy Bloggers. The idealized depiction of motherhood was excruciating to someone trapped in a spiral of depression, rage, exhaustion, and terror. A close friend became a famous blogger for a portrayal of motherhood that turned out to be largely untrue and heavily edited. The affect on me was devastating. I love that so many women wish to portray parenthood as a holy and fulfilling thing. But showing near-impossible standards as their every day lives, without showing us the realism or even the really difficult moments, can be so harmful to regular people with regular struggles who now think they're failing because their lives don't reflect that sanitized, curated ideal.
Joni HiltonDecember 16, 2024
Brava! People are not buying the outdated, tired message that women should choose everything else over motherhood. Great article!
GTODecember 16, 2024
Fantastic article by a great writer with a brilliant mind.
HelenCDecember 16, 2024
LOL; T. Carpenter "Stole my thunder" on that amazing quote! That being said, this is why I have always preferred to be known as an "independent female" rather than a feminist. the "-ist" smacks way too much of the "-ites" mentioned in 4 Nephi 1:17 "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God."
C. CarlsonDecember 16, 2024
Beautiful, inspiring story! Thank you!
Cody HoskissonDecember 16, 2024
I am a woman. I have two children and I fully intend on having at least 4 more, God willing. You perfectly summed up how I feel about the vocal minority in this country when you said, “it would seem feminism only includes a woman’s right not to have a child”. Fortunately, I have discovered that they are indeed the minority. When you go out into the real world and talk to real people, you quickly discover that the vast majority of people around you are nice and honestly want to be nice and even if they have a differing opinion, they can still cheer you on in your opinion. Your article also drove home to me a fact that has been slowly dawning in my mind: you can choose to see the positive in the things that happen everyday. Having two kids, I can say that motherhood is often exhausting, yet this woman chooses to post positive and uplifting content about her eight children. She could choose to focus on the thousands of things that must go awry everyday, but instead she focuses on the blessings she sees everywhere and makes the world a brighter place by sharing about them. So thank you for that improved perspective as well!
Linda K. SpoonerDecember 16, 2024
I truly love Meridian Magazine. Yes, I subscribed last year and will again this year. I have learned a great deal from your magazine. Thank you. Linda
Linda K. SpoonerDecember 16, 2024
I cannot tell you how much I love this post. I normally don't read such syrupy type stuff, but the title hit me. I never expected to end up where I did. On a piece of land with a milk cow and 3 kids. Not ever. It brought back memories flying into my head and heart. This showed me I was not crazy or demented as my mother thought of me. I am not alone. I would have loved having my husband to enjoy this but alas that couldn't be. I am bipolar and that ruined my enjoyment of what you had. Being bipolar and having separation angst and making decisions on my own did not mix. It was the 1970's and I did not know what to do to get help. I am going to start following this ballerina. Thank you so much for this article. It gave me strength to visit that part of my life. Yes, thank you. Linda
T. CarpenterDecember 16, 2024
"That is feminism. Women supporting women in pursuing excellence and actualization in every sphere and not always rushing to say one form of excellence threatens another by its very existence." I love that paragraph. I pray that we, all the women of the world, achieve that some day.
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