Final Smore
By: Lacy Copeland
~Novels~
For some reason, it is hard for children to imagine who our mothers were before they were our mothers. Reading "The Year We Were Famous" by Carol Estby Dagg, made me realize that we do not fully understand our mothers until we have the ability to put ourselves in their shoes and feel the need to get to know our mothers better. This book made me question how well I knew my mother, and made me want to know her more for who she really is, not just who she is as a mother.
~News~
It seems that moms never try to be on the news, it just happens, because they do something really great or really awful. My favorite moms in the news are the ones who stand up for their children no matter what. I hope to be a mom like that someday (and possibly end up in the news for my awesome mom skills.) My worst nightmare would to become the kind of mom in the news that does something terrible to their children like kill them and then put them away in boxes for keepsakes.
~Surveys: Real Moms~
The surveys that we created in class and distributed to real moms helped to open my eyes to see what mothers actually think and feel. From these mother's responses I have come to the conclusion that motherhood is not all that it is cracked up to be. There are very trying times and very difficult decisions that you have to make while raising your children, but I do not think that I surveyed a single mother that regretted having her child.
~The Feminine Mystique~
There are limitless opportunities in this day in age for women compared to the opportunities for women in the 1960s. Women went to college back then, like they do now, but women in the sixties went to school for an MRS degree. The goal was to find a husband as quickly as possible while still in school, have babies almost after the wedding bells tolled, and then there was nothing left in life for women. Women need more in life than a husband and babies, they need to feel self-worth, accomplishment, and importance. "The Feminine Mystique" helped uncover the underlying principle of the general unpleasant lives of women during that time period, and it helped unite women, making them feel not so alone in their struggles.
~Films~
Representations of motherhood through film have changed tremendously over time. During the 30s mothers were represented as independent, caring, and most of all supportive of their children, or so was the case of my move, Little Women. I aspire to be a mother similar to Marmee, firm but loving at all times. In our generation it is becoming increasingly popular to depict mothers who are falling apart and do not have everything together. I know that this is the case for many mothers, but not for a prolonged period of time like movies today suggest. I think a combination of seeing a mother "put together," then falling apart for a short time, and then climbing back up would be the perfect portrayal of a mother; one I hope to see in the near future.
Event Information
New Season of Moms in Television!
Moms on television are have changed over time as well. Through the sixties we got a glimpse of motherhood as wearing pearls to vacuum the house, taking care of every need of the children, and always having food on the table when the husband came home from a hard day at work. Then came the seventies with a burst of girl power. We saw moms as single and independent mothers who could always financially provide for her children. During the eighties we saw mothers working outside the home, probably a part-time job, and coming home to do the house chores. She got the fulfillment of work outside the home and the fulfillment of being a mother. With the onset of the 90s came the fully working household. Mothers and fathers were working full time to make ends meet for their family.
Now-a-days we see a variety of mothers and every show has a different portrayal of motherhood. What will we see next?
When?
Thursday, Apr 30, 2015, 12:45 PM
Where?
In a TV close to you!
~Advertising~
Mothers in advertisements are always looking out for their children with the aid of a new product. I feel that more "perfect" mothers are portrayed through the advertising medium. They are always making baseball pants white after being dirty, using Pam for cooking to impress their neighbors, and giving their children milk for their health, all the things a mom "should" do. I really enjoyed the advertising project, I have never thought about what real mothers would think of mothers that are portrayed in ads. In fact, I have not thought about the concept of motherhood in terms of how they are represented until I took this class. It almost upsets me how mothers are portrayed as only mothers, and how it seems that being a mother is the only identity that a mother can have.
~Music~
I think that it is so strange that mothers are not strongly represented through music. There are very few songs with mothers in them, and when mothers are represented it is often a lyrical thank you for all that they have done. My song, "I Love My Momma" by Snoop Dog, is one of those songs. Why are mothers represented in so many other art forms, but not through music? Possibly it is because that we do not know much about our mothers or that we do not know what to say to them besides I love you and thank you. These songs also serve a purpose as reminders for what our mothers do for us, and that we should thank them regularly for all that they do.
~Children and Teens~
Mothers in children's books are all about the unconditional love. Many children's books mothers are telling their child how much they love them, and no matter what they will always love them. My favorite children's book growing up was The Kissing Hand, my mom would always kiss my hand like they did in the book, and it made me feel really special to have her with me.
As we grow up we can understand that our moms are not always perfect, and that they have lives too. Teen books and shows portray mothers as protective, loving, and not always who we thought they were as seen in the book series Divergent. Moms in teen fiction also are not afraid to get their hands dirty to protect their children like the mother in Game of Thrones.
~Disney Films~
Disney films are trying to tell us that if there is a mother figure present in our lives, we cannot become who we are supposed to be and gain independence. It is true that it is in a mother's nature to care and nurture her young, however, there are many mothers that care and nurture for their young while still allowing them to grow up and become independent. Disney is putting mothers on two extremes: the all caring and nurturing mother and the evil mother who does not care what happens to the child. I would like to argue that there are more mothers in the middle that need to be represented, the ones who love unconditionally but know when to be tough on their kids so that they can grow.
~Magazines~
In women's magazines during the 30s mothers could send in advise about motherhood for other moms to read about. Back in those days magazines were all about articles and novels, not so much about pictures. In the Parents' Magazine in the mid 30s the general theme of the magazine was to give advise about all things parenting, especially for mothers. There were several articles on how to be a good mother and do everything right for your family. From this magazine I have learned that mothers are very self-conscious about being mothers. They want to be the best mom in the world, and they try so hard.
~The End~
Taking this course I have learned that many mothers are very hard on themselves to become the perfect mother. It makes me appreciate mothers all around, their hard work and dedication to their children is so heartwarming. I can now understand different things my mom does and it helps me have a better perspective of motherhood. I am afraid that when I become a mother I will lose myself in my kids. I am afraid that I will be "Mom" and not "Lacy," not just to my children, but to everyone that I meet. I am going to try to be more than just a mother. Maybe I will look to Parents' Magazine for help, maybe I will look up to mothers in the media for advise on how to raise my children, or maybe I will ask my mom. Either way, this class has opened my eyes to motherhood and I look forward to being a mother in the future.