Thursday, October 11, 2012

Tales from Tinseltown

  
Kristin Cavalierri can’t wait to have another one. Jesssica Simpson changes her daughter’s outfits ten times a day. Guiliana Rancic is “loving every minute” of motherhood.
 babylifestyles.com

In the land of tinsel, postpartum depression and colic have been eradicated like Polio. Babies latch onto the breast with the greatest of ease. The Hollywood script says that sleepless nights only happen in Seattle. Or so the story goes. You rarely hear differently.

I want to hear how celebs would mother without nannies, assistants, personal chefs and trainers – kind of like seeing stars without makeup. And without their publicists serving up half-truths to the media and public.

Richness and complexity are missing in this fabricated fable of family.  Motherhood stretches you in unimaginable ways. Yes, it's a unique and special love. Also, a terrifying shock to contemplate the weight of responsibility for a small, fragile creature. Helplessness takes hold when you can’t stop your child’s cries, no matter what you do. Deep, in your bones exhaustion is brought on by the one-two punch of sleep deprivation and a baby who's still on the move like the energizer bunny. Just the beginning of the story, too.

I might envy the luxury of a celebrity’s life in the moment. When it comes down to it, I don’t. I've learned about myself by embracing some of the challenges of motherhood.

I am grateful for different things, like sitting down on the couch at the end of the day after Claire’s asleep. Or going out for dinner with my husband and having a conversation about something other than Elmo.

I’ve gotten over my bad self too. When I toiled in the kitchen making Claire an apple/sweet potato tart and she immediately spit it out, I moved on to the next thing. No applause there.

I’m not trying to make myself out as a hero here. I’m trying to say I’m an ordinary mom, ready to wear my triumphs and my struggles on my sleeve.

It's unclear whether celebrity moms really don’t have the same struggles as the rest of us, or if they're just keeping them under wraps. Either way, they’re making regular moms look bad. I don’t like that very much.

This post is featured as one of the Top Twelve Funny Posts of 2012.

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30 comments:

  1. Amen! Such an honest piece. The battle scars of being a mom, I think makes moms much stronger people. The last time a celebrity was honest about parental issues was Brooke Shields and she was knocked by Tom Cruise. If celebrities were a little more outspoken on the real aspects of parenthood, some key issues could be addressed as a society (i.e. breastfeeding trouble, sleep trouble).

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    1. Yes! Thank you for extending this piece with your thoughts about how this issues impacts society.

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  2. All four of my kids came with colic. Not sure why it happened to me, but it was no picnic. Thanks for linking up on last week's Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop! Don't forget to link today if you haven't already. Have a great weekend!

    Tina - mom of 4 and author of 5 blogs
    http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com

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  3. I appreciate your honesty! My girl did too. I was sure it would cause her permanent damage. From the look of your kids on your blog, they look like they are doing just fine!

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  4. Totally. Then again, every minute detail of these celebrities' lives is choreographed and sanitized for the media. And when viewed in that light, their odes to colic-less babies is more about what Hollywood, PR firms and the glitterati think motherhood (or womanhood) is, than what these women really experience. It's a shame, that's for sure.

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    1. Yes! The thing that's considered the greatest narrative is the "weight loss journey".

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  5. Celebs wouldn't know what to do without nannies and what not, just like the rest of us! It would be interesting to see some of them tho.

    Thanks for linking up with Super Sunday Sync!
    ~dawn

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  6. Haha! I totally agree! As much as I love Tori Spelling, I can't relate to her. I remember on her reality show when Liam was a baby, she handed the baby over to her nanny for the night and said, "See you in the morning". Wouldn't that be nice to not have to get up during the night to feed a screaming baby?

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    1. zzzzz...oh, wait I was responding to your comment and fell asleep. Ok, here goes...What! Wake up at night to feed a screaming baby? Not me. That never happens to me!

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  7. those celebrities have it worse than people think...that is why the addictions are so rampant. it is NOT greener on that side of the fence.
    I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.

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    1. The spiritual component of life needs to be attended to.

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  8. It is interesting, watching celebrities go through the motherhood process. Registering at Tiffany's for sterling silver accents and such. I think it would be refreshing to hear what it's really like, because you know they are getting pooped on.
    Cute blog too. Following you now, found you on My Froley Blog hop.
    www.meetmaxwell.blogspot.com
    Gina

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  9. Couldn't agree more. So many times i flick through magazines or tootle on the internet and think do they REALLY not suffer? Do they REALLY live this perfect life? I very much doubt it!

    Found you through the Monday Mingle blog hop and i am now 100% following you!! Thanks for the interesting read :)

    Char :) mummyrawles.blogspot.com

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  10. I'm following you and visiting from the Sunday Hop (just running a little behind).

    If I was celebrity rich I wouldn't hire a nanny for anything but babysitting while hubby and I went out. I like the kids with me, and like you, I enjoy the ups and downs that define being a parent. But I WOULD hire a chef...oh yes, I would def. hire a chef (a chef who did dishes, hah!). :)

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    1. Ha/ha! I cook; my husband does the clean-up! You may think this is crazy and my husband thinks I'm a masochist, but I like showing my kid that cooking and cleaning is a part of how we take care of ourselves. Of course, that does NOT mean I'm averse to the delivery man visiting our house or dining out every now and then!!

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  11. I love it when a blogger mom is honest about parenthood. I think that a lot of people (including myself) browse the many amazing mothering blogs out there or pinterest and get entirely discouraged. When someone who seems to be doing things right takes just a little time to let everyone know that it isn't always peaches and cream, then it makes the whole mothering in this very public world a lot easier.

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    1. I will never get the mom of the year award. Yet, I know my daughter wouldn't trade me for the one who does!

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  12. All moms are heroes--at least the ordinary ones, not the celebs! Sounds to me like you are doing an awesome job. One day Claire will grow up and turn into your best friend. I have 2 daughters who are young adults now and we are closer than I ever imagined. I made tons of mistakes as a young mother and constantly berated myself and went through my share of guilt but guess what? They don't remember any of that. I'm just Mom to them, and they love me for that alone. It will be the same for you!

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    1. I appreciate the encouragement. I will take it wherever I can get it.

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  13. Your post is in my top 12, and your Pinterest pin/photo is in my blog post here http://www.lifehappensthenwrite.com/2013/01/top-twelve-parent-humor-of-2012-warning.html

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  14. Great post, Rachel. So many truths there! Thanks for linking this up with the TALU!

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    1. Thank you, Anne. I aspire to truth. It's great when people think I'm able to hit the mark.

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  15. Great post--totally agree with you! I make it a policy never to believe anything I hear from people in Hollywood! It's all lies!! LOL I prefer people who are REAL and transparent, and honest about their struggles. (TALU)

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    1. That's a good policy! I agree that it's hard to take seriously, but it still BUGS me!

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  16. I don't think they make "regular" moms look bad at all. I think everyone is pretty aware that they have help that other moms don't ... not to mention the swag they score for their kiddos! In addition to the help sometimes, wouldn't it be nice to get all those goodies now and again? That's the whole reason I don't have kids - I haven't met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with, so when other people suggest I just have the kids I want now and worry about the guy later, I think they're nuts! Maybe if I won the lottery! Otherwise, I'd need to take on a 2nd and 3rd job to support the kids financially, which would mean I was never with them, so what's the point in having them if I'm having to pay someone else to raise them??? Sigh ... :(

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    1. Yes, people take all that they hear from Hollywood with a grain of salt, but I still don't like it! I met my husband at 40 and had Claire at 44. I had given up on it all. It's amazing how life can change!

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    2. I know, it seems like for some of them, the kids are "accessories." Sad.

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