If I were to ask you to name some moms that were displayed on television as positive role models when you were growing up, could you do it? My response? Absolutely.
I grew up with Angela Bower from Who’s the Boss, the successful ad-executive who also happened to be single mom portrayed as a hard working woman desperately trying to make a good life for her and her young son. Maggie Seaver from Growing Pains was seen as the warm, compassionate and sometimes frazzled working mom who was very active in her children’s lives. Claire Huxtable is another good example of a mother who balanced a successful full-time career while attending to her children on The Cosby Show. Or Roseanne from Roseanne also comes to mind. Although she was far from perfect, she loved her kids more than anything else and amidst her flaws and snarky personality she was as real as it gets.
Yes, these women certainly had some imperfections but they were ‘real’ moms portrayed on American television in a positive way. If I were to ask you to name some positive role model moms on television today, well that question can’t be answered as easily.
For starters, think about The Real Housewives. I think it’s such a paradox to call this show The Real Housewives because these women live far from reality! Majority of mothers do not live with that kind of income in those kind of homes, nor are we given the same opportunities that the women on these shows display. They have nannies as stay-at-home moms to assist in the parenting department and housekeepers to help maintain the large home on a regular basis so they are free to do “other things” with their time. This isn’t the reality for most of us.
Or how about other moms that are portrayed in the media – dare I say Kate Gosselin? Take a good look at the footage from the first two years of the show. You’ll remember the mom who brought in a chef to help her learn how to cook more organically or the mom who sat down with her eight kids and did crafts with them. She was the mom who planned birthday parties, took many trips with the kids regardless of how troublesome it might have been and reveled in the small milestones they each made along the way. I was a huge Kate fan early on because I thought she always took the hardest job in the world in such stride. I marveled at how she was able to be a mother to eight children day in and day out without hesitation. In those early years, she made me want to be a better mother – I thought if Kate could do it with 8, I sure as hell better do it with 2 – and do it well.
But where is she now? She’s busy launching her new lucrative book deal, learning how to do a split and pirouette on a highly watched television show while adding some hair extensions and speaking on the talk show circuit to let Los Angeles know she is “available.” It makes me wonder how this small town girl could have gotten so wrapped up in fame that eventually would change her so much. Is she that same role model of a mother for the rest of us as she used to be in those early years? Not quite. Moreover, television producers still chase after her and I am left to wonder WHY.
Which brings me to the point – where are the ‘real’ moms? Where is the Angela Bower, Maggie Seaver, Claire Huxtable and Roseanne of today? One of my bloggy friends The Wanna Be WAHM recently wrote a great post about this topic and she referenced the article published by Hybrid Mom in which Jennifer Rawlings clearly adds, “Not since Rosanne has a television show portrayed a mom as a hard working, self assured, flawed, busy, funny, sad and sometimes pathetic human being…a real mom. And not since Rosanne has their been a television show featuring a mom that was as compelling.”
Pefectly stated.
Although I’ve heard the show Parenthood does a decent job of displaying real moms, producers need to wake-up and realize that there is such a lack of positive role models portraying real moms in television today and something needs to be done about it.
Perhaps we need to begin a Theta Mom movement and all share a piece of our blogs – because when I visit each and every one of you I know I am in ‘real’ company.
Enough said.
You are right, if you only consider reality TV, but what about Nora, Kitty and Sarah on Brothers & Sisters? What about Lynette and Susan on Desperate Housewives? They are all flawed, but they do the best they can in sometimes humorous and inventive ways.
I think there are positive role models, but unfortunately they are obscured by reality television which is not the norm, but an abomination. If reality TV was actually taken from reality, my, what boring TV that would make! There would be no drama. Real people are not like reality TV–the TV producers seek out eccentric/odd/weird people, not normal people.
And do you know who we have for positive role models? The moms in the bloggy world! There are millions of us who are doing the best we can and sharing with others how we do it. That has got to count for something right?
OK, will jump down from my soap box now. Love your post. Thanks for provoking a bit of spit and fire in this boring, normal mum.
.-= Tropical Mum´s last blog ..Gotta Love Other People’s Bratty Kids–Seriously. =-.
So true. Everything you’ve said is so true. I can remember all those sitcom moms (my favorite probably being Claire Huxtable!) and understand exactly what you’re saying about them. Through all the nitty-gritty they were MOMS, there for their families. This reality show phenomenon going on now is unfortunately highlighting the outrageous, hopefully minority, group of women who have made a disaster out of raising kids, for the most part. It is a sad reality.
.-= Beth @ Laugh Until You Cry´s last blog ..How one decision could’ve changed EVERYTHING. =-.
I don’t watch a lot of TV, but one TV Mom I really identify with is the mom on The Middle! She is real and flawed and lovable.
But all of these TV moms that you’ve listed are portrayed wearing real clothes, with their hair done and their makeup on! Do you remember ONE Cosby episode where little Rudy was puking her guts out and Claire was right there with her, holding her hair back in sweats and hair in a ponytail? NO! She was made up, in a skirt and high heels.
When my kid is sick, when I’m taking care of him and the house, I can hardly bother myself to get out of my pajamas. THAT’s real motherhood.
Any TV portrayal of a mother is not reality. It’s TV’s version of reality.
.-= Sarah M.´s last blog ..The One In Which I Become All Domestic =-.
I thought of that, too Sarah (not very realistic when she never looked tired working full-time and always looked great) but at least she showed interest and care for her kids. I can’t say much of that for the moms on tv today.
And you’re right, that’s what they need to show – a pony tailed frazzled mom who is doing the best she can!
I think my whole comment just disappeared. This was great post! Now I forgot most of what I was going to say…oh yeah, you are right, we need some more Roseannes out there. Nothing has been as reality-funny since! I said more but I have to get to work. (-:
I totally agree with The Real Housewives! I watch the re-runs of it and some of the arguments that they have are pretty comical. Such as, some of them got angry because they were insulted that it was brought to their attention they don’t have jobs. Of course, they came back with “well we are SAHM’s and its the most important job in the world”….ummmmm you have 2 nannies and a housekeeper!!!!! Just ridiculous and you are right, life is not like that for most of us.
.-= Desi´s last blog ..run with the devil =-.
Someone already mentioned the mom from The Middle and I have to agree. That family is anything but perfect but they love each other. She is hysterical. I also love Modern Family for the way it portrays different types of families while being so funny I almost pee myself every week I watch it.
.-= Natalie @ Hope Springs Eternal´s last blog ..Morning Walk =-.
I also remember Kate and Allie fondly – not just real moms but a portrait of a real, adult friendship.
I think the Walker family from Brothers & Sisters are pretty honest & human characters.
I also keep meaning to go back and watching Thirtysomething, now that I AM thirtysomething, but I haven’t. That apparently is very real!
ThetaMom — You are right. Although I guess to extend on your well-thought-out point….isn’t it a sad state of affairs that the mothers we look up to are fictional, and the real mothers, the ones with the real kids and real problems are the ones that we judge?
.-= Sarah M.´s last blog ..The One In Which I Become All Domestic =-.
The blogging world is where I get my role models now! So much great advice, so many real perspetives, so much I can really relate to and I’m so grateful for it. I can’t believe how rich the community is.
For the record, I liked Kate a lot in the early years too. But I suspect, she lost a piece of herself when she had her kids, and though she managed while she had to, when she finally found a little bit of freedom and excitement she ran with it and went over the top. If you think of it on a microscopic level it makes perfect sense. I know that when I get an hour or two off on my own to just be me, I crave more! The balance comes from not giving in to that and knowing that you still have to be a mom. Somewhere I think she lost that perspective. I feel for her, I can’t imagine how complicated everything must be for her now.
.-= Christine LaRocque´s last blog ..Plague of the perfectionist: Part 1 =-.
I couldn’t agree with you more! I’m not sure I would have signed on to do Dancing with the Stars after finalizing a a divorce (among many other issues) – but you are totally right – For her, it’s probably an escape and she was given a new found freedom she hadn’t experienced in years. I don’t have any place to judge her BUT the way the media is so entralled by her is what gets me. Give the chick some space and let her be a mom again – and in the meantime, figure out how to portray mothers on tv in a positive way!
So the women who actually exist, unscripted (screw-ups and spoiled rich girls and all) aren’t real moms, but the perfectly scripted career women who screwed up, but in an oh-so-heartwarming way were the real moms to you. Get away from the tv. None of those people are like me, but I can tell you that the women with the cameras on their lives are real, and real mothers make bad choices just like them everyday.
.-= Cindy´s last blog ..Help a Mama (and Daddy) Out? =-.
In both cases, yes the mothers are flawed which makes them real, but many of the mothers on tv today are certainly not “role models.” We make mistakes everyday as mothers, so why don’t they show the reality of motherhood the way it truly exists? That was the point I was making.
But Roseanne was held to the standard of being a bad mom in the press and around most tables because she was a working class mom. In my house she & Dan were just like family, because that is MY family. Serious. The show was controversial at the time it initially aired, now we don’t feel that way because it helped opened our eyes to see how it is for millions of families out there. But it soon fell into being a fantasy show & not real as seasons went on.
I also don’t think most people really want real. Real makes us have to look at our lives, it causes us to see that sometimes things aren’t pretty & they are hard, it forces us to realize that the life we planned might not turn out. Real is what most people try to escape from in TV.
Maybe instead of turning to TV, which I don’t believe will ever get truly real (it might get close, but it will only brush the surface), we need to turn to each other & our lives. We need to start living it real. The internet lets us reflect that reality, but the real moms they are found right around the kitchen table & the conference table all around us.
.-= beth aka confusedhomemaker´s last blog ..Honeybee Server Set =-.
I find the most real mothers are those I blog with – you each provide a sense of reality that I understand and relate to – I think that’s the reason I love blogging so much – we are as real as it gets. 😉
Ok & I am so sorry that I wrote a mini-book there. Darn introspective thought & lots of coffee, look at how wordy you made me (shakes fist at the sky)
😀
.-= beth aka confusedhomemaker´s last blog ..Honeybee Server Set =-.
Alright one more, LOL 😀
I do think Cortney, she & her husband she launched a Bravo show about their design business which is a family business & their homes are their show places, is pretty real. Everyone may not agree with their style/lives/parenting what-have-you but she seems pretty normal.
.-= beth aka confusedhomemaker´s last blog ..Honeybee Server Set =-.
Oh Angela Baurer, Carol Seaver, and Roseanne how I miss those moms. I LOVED them. End even though I was young watching those shows I TOTALLY related to them because I saw my mom in all of them. And I, as a working mom now, completely relate to them.
I think that all the time about how I do not relate to any mom on TV. In fact I barely watch TV because I can’t relate to any of the junk out there now. They just don’t make TV like they used to.
.-= This Mama Works It!´s last blog ..Big Crumbs Cash Back Program Review ~ Take a Look At My Earnings So Far =-.
You are totally right! I’m sitting here trying to think of someone positively portrayed, and the sad thing is that all I watch is reality TV! I will say that I do love Kendra as a new mom though and think she’s pretty real. Other than her though…not so sure!
.-= The Mommyologist´s last blog ..Celia’s Puppies Book Review =-.
Ever since the birth of “reality TV” we’ve had no real people on TV. Ironic.
.-= Joey @ Big Teeth & Clouds´s last blog ..Tuesday with Tim: A Tale of Two Timo’s =-.
So true!
Unfortunately, I think that until “real moms” start valuing themselves, Hollywood won’t. Hollywood doesn’t have quite the agenda they are made out to have. They want what sells, what people will watch. Kate is controversy and for as many people who despise her—-they WATCH.
We need to STOP watching the Kate’s of the world.
Television was so much better when our country had values and people were shocked, offended and refused to watch things. We are now desensitized to all all of that and though we may be momentarily shocked, we are rarely offended and NEVER refuse to watch.
Did I mention this was a GREAT and thought provoking post?
Just look at me having a conversation with myself!
; 0 )
.-= Karin Katherine´s last blog ..The shoes that sparked this post =-.
Thanks Karin! I agree, Kate is what “sells” right now and that’s the reality of Hollywood. Maybe if we all stopped watching, they would begin to listen.
I have to agree with themommyologist the first person that came to mind was Kendra. She doesn’t appear scripted like other reality stars,but yet her lifestyle doesn’t match the average mom. Now that I think about it the mom off of modern family I can’t remember her name rigt now but the one wit the 3 kids. I don’t know how positive other moms might find her but I think she can be pretty pretty real.
Great post!!! You’re right we are lacking good mom role models today, but I have found one that I can relate to and helps me in my journey with motherhood. Her name is Michelle Duggar from 19 kids and counting. She’s the real deal. I enjoy her sweet disposition, the way her husband treats her, and the love she has for her children. I know they ar e not perfect, but they have brought prayer and God back to television (rarely seen unless you watch TBN), a sense of community, passion for others, and hard working ethics.
Again, a great post giving us food for thought!!! Thanks Heather.
.-= Jasmine´s last blog ..Guest Blogger – Kristine McGuire =-.
Those REAL Housewives are anything BUT… I agree there isn’t a “real” portrayal of Moms today on TV.
.-= Complicated Mama´s last blog ..If my purse could talk…it would say Switch-it! =-.
Agree, agree, agree! I find these mommies on TV are so far off from reality today that’s why I stopped watching them altogether.
.-= Maureen´s last blog ..Indoor Play Areas Tips =-.
So funny my hubby and I were talking about this last night while I was watching Tori & Dean {I know it is a reality show rather than a tv show}. I love Tori BUT if you watch it she never has both kids by herself and if she does she has an arm full of people surrounding her! Even when they pick up out of the blue and go on vacation again she is surrounded by people. I know she is a celebrity {and has loads of money} but I hate how they try to portray themselves as “everyday people”.
I want to see someone that is struggling to keep up with laundry, dealing with tantrums and picky eaters, not being able to get a shower EVERY DAY, finding a babysitter so you can go on a date with your hubby, etc….someone that is a real mom with real problems.
I miss the old TV shows and wish we had just ONE that we could look up to! Great post once again
I so agree – must have grown up in the same generation as you, or maybe earlier. The TV moms are rarely with their kids, you don’t see them juggling a toddler and a baby and pushing a grocery cart while the five year old has a tantrum. I guess I’m more like Roseanne – my house gets cleaned – about once a week. But I’m here with my kids, even working from home as a full-time writer. I leave the house without them about once a week, as often as I mop the floors. And they’re teens now and I could easily leave, but I’m a real mom who does the laundry and cooks a dinner every night. Sometimes the entertainment here is actually better than anywhere else in town! My real-mom life with my real, not so perfect, but still loved, kids is depicted in my book Caution: Children Should Come With Warning Labels. I guess the reason my book doesn’t get much attention and hasn’t had much success is because I’m not Kate, I don’t travel and get invited on talk shows. But that doesn’t make me less real than Kate or Roseanne. Though I’d give anything (almost
) for a fraction of the success they’ve had.
Patti – You mentioned you have a book that reached minimal success – why? Because your name is not Kate. And that’s the sad reality. Mom bloggers are more real than any other portrayal I’ve seen on televsion because WE are living in reality, and not even a well scripted tv show could compare to that.
Yes, actually my life with my daughters is a reality script, a ‘real’ one! Full of embarrassing, funny, touching and unpredictable moments. While it gets great reviews, the moms who frequent reality TV and model themselves after moms who don’t own sweatpants buy books by Kate and other generational mom role models. I for one, choose to be true to who I am, and encourage my girls to grow up the same way.
.-= Patti McKenna´s last blog ..The Sleeper Story Behind the 2010 Masters =-.
I totally agree! I miss those shows and the “real” families they portrayed. Also, I can’t believe the level of obsenity and graphic nature that is allowed now of days on TV. It use to be that as long as you weren’t on certain cable channels, you didn’t have to worry about what your kids might see. Not so anymore!
you are absolutely correct! just can’t stand shows like “Real Housewives” or anything having to do with Kate Gosslein. they give people such unrealistic expectations to look to, and learn from. i wrote a post a while back about The Duggar Family. i don’t have a problem with the Duggar Family itself, but there are people out there who see them on tv, and actually strive to be just like them, only they don’t have the intelligence or the strength to pull it off. (http://nobodysnothings.com/2010/01/05/the-duggar-family/)
i have a friend who is actually taking the Duggar book/tv show and striving to be just like that family- but the only thing she’s managing is the “having tons of kids” part. it aggravates me to see moms take all these unrealistic reality shows to heart, and then beat themselves up, or worse let their kids suffer because they can’t fulfill the expectations as well as what they portrayed on tv.
i find it sad that “Rosanne” is one of the more true-to-life tv moms, yet “real Housewives” is the reality show.
.-= Nobody´s last blog ..I Just Love These Things =-.
I solve the problem by not watching so-called family television! I think our lack of cable or network TV (we do DVDs) will go a long way toward keeping our kids from thinking that being a nasty, materialistic person is normal.
.-= Christa´s last blog ..This Is How the Babby Spent Her Day! =-.
I love this post! As a TV show junkie, this topic isn’t something that would have come to my mind if it were not for your post. I agree with you on Kate Gosslin. I was such a huge fan of hers. I loved how she maintained her sanity in a house of 8 little ones. She was my shero. And her first book was phenomenal. It really taught me to be thankful for my blessings instead of complaining about my stress. But now, I’m a little disheartened buy her press coverage.
A few other “real moms” come to my mind. Florida Evans, from the old TV show “Good Times” was the Claire Huxtable of TV before the Cosby Show came along. And now there is a show, “Everybody Hates Chris” which features a hilariously stressed out mom of 3 children.
So yes, positive mom images are lacking in today’s TV shows…maybe you should get a reality show. It can be titled “Heather… She’s no Supermom, she’s a Theta Mom!”
I think it just shows where our society has gone. “They” are going to put on television what makes money and what sells. Unfortunately, the all-American hardworking mom doesn’t appeal to viewers. Society would rather see rich, trainwrecks on reality TV. It’s sad for moms and sad for women in general, if you ask me.
.-= The Flores Garden´s last blog ..Stages. =-.
Very true and very well said. I have to agree that Parenthood does a good job with this…both working mothers and SAHMs.
Love this post!
.-= Kmama´s last blog ..FoodShouldTasteGood: A Review & Giveaway =-.
I agree – Who’s the Boss and Growing Pains were favorites of mine growing up too. I, thankfully had an amazing role model in my own mother and learned so much from her before she passed.
I agree one can find some model ‘Mom’s’ on TV right now but it is challenging. Anything with “real” in the title breads unreal (as you mentioned).
I don’t watch a lot of TV but I do spend a fair amount of time on the computer. I can say that I have found the same (unreal) in some blogs – those who make me feel as though since I am not homeschooling, or don’t eat 100% organic food, or have not eliminated paper products entirely from my home that I am somehow not as good of a mother as they are.
This is precisely why I love Theta Mom – real is not always perfect here but I can relate to so many of the readers which makes me a better mom.
Thanks for this post!
.-= Catherine B´s last blog ..Forever Young =-.
So funny you mentioned that Catherine because I’ve seen a lot of this lately. I didn’t breastfeed and I don’t use cloth diapers but that doesn’t make me a “bad” mom, and those who do are not “better” moms. We are given choices and we choose to parent the best way we know how – and that’s what I love about this space and this blog – love it or hate it, this is me and I’m not afraid to talk about it.
Thanks for your awesome comment.
I loved The Cosby show. Claire was great — funny, intelligent, loving, and they portrayed a healthy (not perfect) marriage too. While I think Modern Family is funny, I feel like the “traditional” family is portrayed as the least functional. She loves her husband but is a bit condescending towards him, and he’s just a huge goofball; the kids are constantly picking on each other. While the whole show is witty and enjoyable to watch, it’s not necessarily a positive role model for a family.
In most tv shows, the moms are portrayed as desperate or driven and the dads are absent or incapable. Where are the women AND men we can look up to? Perhaps we have too many we can identify with (or who make us feel better about ourselves) and not enough to admire.
I read somewhere a while ago how the mom tends to be portrayed as the “pants wearer” in the family while the dad tends to be portrayed as the “bumbling idiot” a lot of the time on television shows. I take it as being “tongue-in-cheek” or like a caricature of a traditional family. Some of the things the parents let slide on that show, I would explode over (like the oldest daughter’s make-out session on the stairs with her boyfriend.)
.-= MandyP´s last blog ..One Word About Me =-.
I agree. Like I said, I enjoy watching it — it’s the funniest thing out there right now (in my opinion, of course). But I miss a good, healthy family that we can look up to!
.-= GlowinGirl´s last blog ..My Favorite Follower =-.
Now where does Peggy from Married with Children fit into this discussion. She used to make me laugh a lot. Though I wasn’t a Mum then/
.-= Christie – Childhood 101´s last blog ..Introducing Project Teepee =-.
I could not agree with you more. I grew up watching all of those television moms you mentioned. I, too, was a huge fan of Kate in the early years. I felt just as you did…if Kate can do it with 8, surely I can manage the 4 I have.
I wonder if no one is asking for more realistic portrayals of moms on T.V. because the real moms are too busy doing their jobs…being moms…to watch anymore! Are producers catering to the crowds of single, young adults or D.I.N.K.S (Dual Income No Kids) to really hear (or care?) what is real and what isn’t? I think it’s sad that in our world today, we have moved so far past what is “real” that we no longer search for it. Instead, the stresses of our “ho-hum” everyday lives (possibly) send us searching for an escape. That escape for many comes in the form of Desperate Housewives, Real Housewives, DWTS, Modern Family, Jersey Shore, The HIlls, etc, etc…
I know that I turn to blogging for some entertainment; both writing my own and reading others’ and nodding my head saying, “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel!” Maybe they should make a show about women bloggers who are “real” …but then maybe we would stop being so real? Just my thoughts…
.-= MandyP´s last blog ..One Word About Me =-.
I agree with you, I think part of the reason we gravitate toward tv is to “forget about our own life” for awhile – it’s a bit of fantasy. I will be the first to admit I watch all of the shows you mention for this very reason. But when it comes to my children watching, who will they be looking up to? Maggie Seaver and the Angela Bowers of today have been replaced with women that aren’t necessarily the best role models.
I can’t think of any mom on tv who’s real these days. Like you and many of the other responses, I get a better sense of a “real” mom through blogs.
As for Kate – I loved her in the beginning. Even when her popularity started to increase and she was doing things like getting her hair done and dresser nicer, it was still real. I say this because as moms, we all need to remember to focus on ourselves once in a while. I we were given some of the opportunities like she had, I think some of us would jump on them. But I think she ran too far with it and let the fame and fortune go to her head.
I’ve also noticed that there aren’t role models on tv for kids. Not that I want tv to model how I want my child to be, but there are so many things out there that I don’t want my kids to be like.
.-= All You Need is Love´s last blog ..Hi! Nice to Meet You! =-.
I felt the same way about all those tv moms you mentioned. Claire was my favorite. She was smart and funny.
.-= yonca´s last blog ..I’m loving this heart-shaped fruit 😉 =-.
I think it goes farther than having no one portray a real mother on TV. There is no real family programming anymore. The lines are much more defined now. There is Children’s TV, Tween/Teen TV and Adult TV. The thing that distresses me most is the lack of parents at all in Children’s and Tween/Teen TV. Someone wrote a great post about the lack of parents in children’s TV and literature a few years ago and it stuck with me. Too bad I can’t remember who
I find there is very little TV that I can watch with my 8yo (let alone my 5yo). I usually end up watching his tween shows with him. Zoe101 – absentee parents (hate that show by the way), Suite Life – Absentee parents or Mom who is there but not parenting, Sonny with a Chance – no parents at all, I could go on and on.
Once in a while my 5yo will ask me where the characters parents are. I wish I had a good answer for him.
.-= Chantal´s last blog ..Home is where my kids are =-.
My point exactly Chantal – For our kids, where is Angela Bower and the Maggie Seaver of days past? This is what I wish would change on tv for THEM.
I’ve not read all the comments on this post…but I agree that Parenthood is a really good show. I’ve really enjoyed it more than any other show on in years. It comes “pretty” close to portraying motherhood in a more natural light. Other than that….I have no idea what show comes close.
.-= Kasey @ All Things Mamma´s last blog ..Celebrating Earth Week =-.
I definitely agree, and I don’t have too much to add here, but I wanted to say that Parenthood really does capture the “reality” of motherhood pretty well. Not perfectly of course. But it features a single mom, stay-at-home mom, and working mom (with a stay-at-home dad). I won’t go into it too much, but they explore real issues dealt with by each of these groups and do a pretty good job of it. It airs past my bedtime, but I’m addicted now!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..All Eyes On My Baby (what they will never tell you, but always hope you find out) =-.
Claire on ModernFamily is my role model.
She does it all.
.-= Alexandra´s last blog ..Bil Keane Had It Goin’ On =-.
Everyone now seem to be obsessed with ‘reality tv’ which is anything but reality. I think we are all drawn to it because usually is so far from our own reality.
I’ve never seen Parenthood – but have heard good things about it.
.-= Accustomed Chaos´s last blog ..Product Review: Momzelle Breastfeeding Apparel =-.
Let’s not forget Marge Simpson, doing the very best she can with, shall we say, some rough raw materials. => And also Miranda from Sex and the City … Her struggle to find balance and contentment amid a motherhood journey she wasn’t sure she wanted to take from the get-go has always struck me as honest and real (and ultimately heartwarming).
.-= Stacia´s last blog ..Photo Tuesday =-.
I haven’t read through all the responses, and I have to admit that I don’t watch Parenthood (I tried…just didn’t tickle my fancy), but I absolutely agree that we’re lacking those Mom figures on television. The only semi-recent Mom I can think of was “Debra” from Everybody Loves Raymond. Flawed, funny, and just muddling her way through. A REAL mom!
.-= MyMercurialNature´s last blog ..Monday Minute (Winners Can Post Twice In One Day If They Want!) =-.
Very true! I also miss Jill Taylor. She was a great mom and a terrific wife. I love how she supported Tim no matter what idiotic thing he pulled off, and how both of them were always there for their boys.
.-= Things to do With Your Kids – Mommy Talk´s last blog ..Logan’s First Disneyland Trip =-.
I completely agree. There are too few portrayals of real moms. I also feel that there are too few portrayals of healthy parental relationships. But as we restrict our children’s television watching to nature shows and Disney movies, that just puts more pressure on me to be that good role model.
.-= Katherine´s last blog ..Domestic Needs =-.
Weird – for some reason I was just thinking of Claire Huxtable today, and how she was always portrayed as a WOMAN – a mom, a lawyer, a wife, a girlfriend. She was a great mom and at the same time faced the problems that women everywhere face – like losing 5 lbs in a hurry in order to fit into a dress (love that episode). And you’re right, there just aren’t TV role models like that anymore.
.-= Mrs. Jen B´s last blog ..I’d Like To Thank The Academy… =-.
Good post and so true!
Real Housewives=Not so real. (Although I still watch it!) And I too was a HUGE Kate fan early on…I had the same thought, if she can do it with 8 I can certainly do it! But now, I feel for her babies. No matter what her motivation to be away from them, she is away plain and simple. And that is a big change from the hands-on mom that she was.
.-= Mommarazzi´s last blog ..{a day at the races} =-.
My dear, I understand your frustration with Kate, but maybe you should cut her a little slack. You may not be in her shoes. I see her as a single mom. She did not plan on this, she did not have 8 babies and then say okay next step bye bye husband. I did not plan on having two and have my marriage fall apart either.
That being said, I am sure she is in a state of panic. Yes it is her exhusbands responsibility to be financially responsible for those eight kids as well, but he probably does not see it through her eyes either. Only Kate can see what Kate sees. What I see is Panic how on earth is she going to support eight children all doing the same things all at almost exactly the same time. You are amazed at early ability to be a devoted mom to 8 elementary school children. OH MY GOD, how on earth is she going to get them through High School and College with that same dedication? Especially now that she is alone every night without being able to whisper her concerns and dreams to another person.
We may not agree with her method at the moment, but do not judge look at what she is facing. Would you do so well?
Teresa
Thanks for your comment Teresa – and you’re right I do have no room to judge. I am far from a perfect mother and I don’t know what I would do in her shoes. BUT I can’t empathize with her as she pours herself out in her book or on tv anymore because she knew what she was signing up for when she put her life on a reality show. I know for sure that adding that element into your life would be nothing but destructive. I’m not sure I’ve seen a “reality” show that didn’t change the people invloved, and unfortunately, it certainly changed her.
The same goes for blogging – I put myself out there and not everyone will agree with what I’m saying, it’s par for the course. My point with Kate was that I just don’t think riding on this media roller coaster is the answer right now.
LOL, yes blogging and reality TV, hmmm hand in hand the same thing maybe a little of a stretch. Either way we open ourselves up to critisism. Be it helpful and well meant or a sword that when drawn back our blood shines brilliantly. It is critisism. We either learn from it or we wallow in a pit of despair.
I loved Clair of the Cosby show. She protrayed a mother I wish I could be. I also loved Marion of Happy Days for her goofyness and faked dimwittedness. But my favorite all time Mom was Mrs. Walton. I so wish I could always speak in such a calm tone and have my children listen. LOL
I agree with you 100%. It’s sad the way moms are portrayed these days.
That would be awesome! You should start something like this 
I’m a big fan of Michelle Duggar from 18 and counting. She’s about the only mom in the media that we could all really learn from.
I like your idea of having a Theta Mom show
.-= Crystal´s last blog ..Spring Forward =-.
i’m just hoping that whoever chose the title of the real housewives show was trying to be funny. he/she wasn’t successful, but still…at least it was an attempt at humor. the most convincing tv mom in my recent memory was reba. i didn’t watch the show regularly, but on the episodes i did watch, her concern for her children, which sometimes devolved into a need for complete control over their lives, seemed very real to me.
i think the unrealistic portrayal of motherhood by hollywood and the media is so damaging. i have many friends who admit to a need to seem like supermom in front of other people, including their families. i’m convinced a lot of this comes from society’s expectations, which are largely determined by popular culture. these kinds of expectations can only lead to disappointment.
thanks for the post!
.-= depressionsandconfessions´s last blog ..consider my ego stroked. =-.
Very, very true! Although, I do agree that Parenthood does set good examples and has good role models.
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Going to Watch the Hawkeyes Play “Down, Set, Hut” =-.