This week’s recommendation is:
“A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood, with Abbie Halberstadt” from The Monica Swanson Podcast.
Why?
I really enjoyed listening to this episode because it made me think differently about this “hot mess mom” trend that I’m seeing more and more of on social media. The “hot mess mom” trend uses humor and sarcasm to talk about how exhausting parenting is, and how annoying kids can be. As you might know, I really enjoy a good sense of humor and I love when people are real and relatable. However, this podcast made me see the danger in this “hot mess mom” trend. Abbie (the guest on the pod) made me think about replacing the narrative that parenting is a burden and you’ll need a break from your kids every night, with a narrative where raising kids, while at times exhausting, is a huge yet wonderful responsibility that God has given us, and with God’s strength and love, we can LOVE spending time with our kids and parenting can be full of joy.
The entire podcast is great, but Abbie really starts digging in tho this concept around 18 minutes 45 seconds, so if you’re pressed for time, start there!
My takeaway(s) from this episode:
We don’t have to be perfect parents, and there’s no way we can be. We are all mediocre without Jesus, but that doesn’t mean we have to settle for this way of parenting that says kids are annoying, and we just have to push through the tough years, instead of enjoying them.
One of my favorite quote(s) from this episode:
“We need to make this… important distinction between the mediocre view of this and the biblically excellent view of this that we are called to. My kid can act annoying, but that does not mean that that defines him… and that I can put him in the box and then shove him away from me in distain because his annoying character traits are getting on my nerves. Instead, his acting annoying is a huge call for me to say, ‘Ooh! Where can I disciple him? Where can I pour in? How can I adjust? What does he need from me in the Lord’s strength, prayerfully?'”
If you listen to this podcast episode I’d love to hear your takeaways! Do you think that this “hot mess mom” content on social media can be harmful, or is it just for fun? Has this narrative woven its way into your life without you even knowing? What are some benefits of adopting the biblically excellent view of parenthood?
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thank you so much for sharing this episode from my podcast!! Love your site here and your heart! xo Monica
Of course! I could recommend ALL of your episodes!! Thanks for using your platform to speak truth and encouragement! I am a better mom for it, for sure!