Ma Maven | The Mom Without A Manual

Let’s talk about mom hacks. Who are they for and do they really work? Recently, I shared here on my blog, one of my very own mom hacks in detail which I believe is a surefire way to get my children to take a midday nap. I felt like I shared some really good tips because I am always looking for a way to engulf my children in new experiences. I figured since I’m doing this Mommy Blogger thing I should share something useful on my digital diary.

Did the previous generations fail us?

My train of thought led me to question why the “mom hack” genre is even a thing? The obvious answer could be that today’s generation of mothers wants to make things as easy as possible without faults or mistakes. Being as though we are in the information age of the internet, a quick Google search or curated Youtube playlist can clue you in on how mothers are handling their responsibilities across the world. This phenomenon had not been optional for our own mothers and grandmothers being as though (depending on their age) the internet as we know it did not exist. Which I can see in a way creating more of a need for young mothers to watch in real-time how the elders kept house and managed their families.

Between my grandma’s generation and my own, learning how to parent through the process of enculturation had been lost. Mothers had stepped out of their homes to work jobs that submerged them into the rat race. Fast forward to today because of COVID-19 a mom like myself can seize an opportunity to work from home and spend more time with her kids. It feels like we are starting from scratch and don’t have a clue as to what we are doing. When well-meaning people come along with seemingly good advice, one might take it and run with it. Superimposing the mom hack onto their children.

When good advice is not necessary.

I remember when I first became a mom, I had so many people coming to me and telling me what I should and should not do concerning raising MY kids. From the labor and delivery nurses to women who passed me by in a store; there was always someone offering me advice for the betterment of my child and my overall life as a mother. The advice they were all sharing may have been good, however, because I was in my most vulnerable place, just having a baby, all of my fears started to flood in. I believe this made me feel inadequate as a first-timer. I will always want to do what is best for my children, but sometimes we don’t know what’s best. In the past, because of the fear of not knowing, I would overthink and attempt to apply all of the information and advice I was receiving without question.

By doing this I was creating more of a hassle than a hack for myself when life started to unfold. As time goes on I continue to turn inward as I try my best to periodically assess what my children’s needs are and how to achieve them: ergo the mom hacks. Just because Janette from Houston had experienced a similar situation three years earlier and decided to share 10 ways she prevented herself from pulling all of her hair out while raising her three wonderful children doesn’t mean someone like myself will consider how she survived and apply it.

What is a mom hack good for?

I appreciate people like my online friend Janette because I don’t always have a plan on what to do. I have grown to look forward to seeing a good ol’ mom hack from some other mavens. As the days grow on so does the interest of women, like me, seeking to learn how to be better wives, mothers, friends, gourmet cooks, and homemakers. For the ones who hadn’t seen the example on display within their own childhood homes, we’re what it could look like by learning online.