Pinterest Pressures

Oh, for the love. We have to do “last day of school” pictures now? I didn’t even get around to doing the “first day” ones, let alone have them pose with a Pinterest inspired chalkboard or a burlap-covered-something-or-other with their school year, age, future job choice, and favorite kind of cookie. When will the madness end?!

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like Pinterest is to blame for all of this?

(Discuss amongst yourselves.)

Mom we’re ready! What does Pinterest say to do with these things?

Moms like me aren’t cut out for this level of planning and craftiness. A little background on me: I just bought myself an iron and ironing board within the last year. When we moved in 2005, my husband advised me to throw out anything I didn’t use….it took me over ten years to get another one. So to ask me to embroider, shellac, distress, or even use a hot glue gun is going too far.  

Honestly, all the blame shouldn’t be put on crafts. It’s just the overall pressure I feel to be a Super Creative, Healthy, Cute Mom. Yes, I realize this is a self imposed pressure, but it feels like I’m not quite cutting it when I can’t find my hairbrush and I send my kids to camp with a Lunchable in a grocery sack. (Darn you, Bento Boxes and your adorable tiny sandwiches.)

But what if we make a deal?

Moms. Hear me out. What if we all just decide to stay off of social media before our next big party?! What if no one was allowed to look at Pinterest or Instagram? Wouldn’t life be a little less stressful? (At least it would be for me and all the other Amazon Prime Moms out there.)

I’ve compiled a small list of events that seem to be required to use social media in order to be better than they were 10 years ago.

  • Gender reveals. The cake, the balloons, the glitter.  ****Pregnancy kicked my tail! I just handed the pictures of the ultrasounds to my parents and then took a nap.
  • Pictures of your baby every month. Stickers that state the month he/she is celebrating are optional but encouraged. Preferred would be a customized digital template with stats about baby’s “firsts.” ***Kudos to all of you who can do this! My life was a blur when my babies were young and I often left the house with two different shoes on my feet.
  • Themed birthday parties for every birthday. ****I have to admit, I tried to have a theme for the kids’ first birthday party. (If you call matching plates and cups a theme…) Beyond that, they got a box of pizza and a Dairy Queen cake. Boom.
  • Valentine’s Day cards/gifts that require a lot of forethought. ****We used to go to the store and get the 24 pack of perforated cards and write our names on the back. Our teachers were lucky enough to get the oversized card that was included.
  • “Prom?” Elaborate, creative proposals. Wow!****My kids aren’t old enough for this yet and they are homeschooled, so I would guess it would make school dances kind of awkward. 😉 
  • Graduation party decorations that rival that of a wedding. ****My graduation party had plastic tablecloths, a “Happy Graduation” banner, and Grandma’s homemade ice cream. And, truthfully, it was perfect.

So is Pinterest and the rest of the social media gang really at fault for making mothers feel mediocre? I would bet your next DIY project that the answer is “yes.”

 

Janna
Janna juggles life as a mother and homeschool teacher to four beautiful children (born in '02, '04, '05, and '07) while running a thriving photography business and being an independent ambassador for Plexus. She was born and raised in the city of Council Bluffs and can often be found training for her next Half marathon on the trails near her home. Among her many blessings is the love-of-her-life, Chad. They married in August of 1999 and enjoy working together at j. selander photography, worshipping side by side at church, working out at their favorite gym, and taking romantic date nights to Target.

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