Pity The Children

For they are an accessory to mommy.

Women seem to go through a checklist in their life: been there, done that, next! You can add various sexual escapades to the list if you want, however that's not at all what I'm meaning in this situation.

There is the list entry of: get married. Been there, done that, next! Sometime after this comes: have children. Been there, done that, next!

Step back. Look at this list. What does it consist of?

Ego validation for the mother.

All these items are a checklist of what it takes to "be a woman". The more items checked off, the better in the mommies social-circle. Some are optional depending upon circumstance: the "heroic battling single mommy" item is one of these. It's a consolation-prize for not being able to find a man in these terribly tough times. (Cue the condescending pity from the married to the unmarried.)

So, once a woman has her kidlets a bunch of new checklist options appear on her list. She keeps checking them off: Cindy does ballet and is getting very good at it, Rodger is doing exceptionally well at soccer, wasn't Lisa lovely in the school play, etc etc etc.

Run around endlessly, driving her brood to various places: ballet lessons, tennis, soccer practice. Rush rush rush, oh my we need some dinner, there's no time lets grab something on the run.

All of it to create ego-based brownie points for mommy: check, check, check check, checkcheckcheck, check.

Think about the children of the Tiger Mothers of Asia. You will perform outstandingly in school! Part of that is culture - in China, education is emphasized for high-status civil servants - yet can you truly say that there is absolutely no pride on mommy's part that her son became a X'th status civil servant.

The man? In most cases he is merely a dolt, a slave in the background, providing the dollars while mommy push-push-pushes her kids to excel. You must be better than the rest of the kids! (My standing in my social circle of other mommies demands it!)

"Yes, John is going into medical school. He's going to become a surgeon." With an insufferable smugness, while she laps up the envious cooing of the other mommies around her. Such a good little child.

Poor fucking kids. Nothing more than an ego-pumping accessory to mommy. They grow up thinking that this is a normal childhood.

The cycle repeats.