There’s a lot of snark and eye-rolling that can be found describing the mom who does everything oh-so Pinterest perfectly. As much as I love snark, I am not here to partake…this time. Oh no, I love the Pinterest moms! And that’s not just because I occasionally try my hand at a project or two.
Pinterest Moms make the world a better place. They put the time and effort into crafting and creating an experience for their kids’ birthdays and holidays. They’re making gorgeous, delicious cakes, themed DIY decor, over-the-top Easter Baskets. And that’s okay. It does not mean I have to meet them at every embellishment.
There was a fleeting moment where I wanted to craft everything into perfection. I still do pin tons of details for potential birthday parties and holidays. But, I’ve been doing the best thing I think any mother can do, and that’s to cut myself some slack. ALL of the projects are just too much for my plate. I don’t have the skill or patience to make a lot of things happen, so as things fall out of my reach, I let it go.
Take my son’s recent 1st birthday – I started with a vision of dinosaurs. It was going to have dino shaped cutouts for decor, maybe shapes taped to balloons to make them look like dinosaurs, a designated space for releasing my baby boy (dressed like a dinosaur, of course) to smash his first cake, dino-themed snacks, a “mamasaurus” shirt for me, and dinosaur picture frames for every month of his first year. Slowly, everything except the last thing fell off my list. It was also raining the day of his party, so our neighbors came by, sang, we smashed a cake and everyone got a cookie and left. It was a nice celebration even though I had whittled it down. My wildest Pinterest dreams helped make at least some details comes to fruition.
So when you do witness the Pinterest Mom in action, hold your scoff. Here are just a few reasons to let the Pinterest Moms do their thang:
Your Kid Reaps the Benefits
If you’re feeling pressure from all super creative Valentine’s you found in your kid’s Valentine bag this year…let it go. Instead, think about how awesome it is that your kid gets something nice to enjoy because another mom wanted to put in some extra effort and attention. Maybe you even had a super cool Easter egg hunt to go to because a Pinterest Mom is super on top of planning for this holiday. The good thing here is that your kid gets to partake, thereby absolving you of some of the workload of the holiday.
It’s Their Favorite Holiday
I see a lot of exasperated posts about how it’s just “x” holiday (or event, etc) why do people turn everything into such a production. Well, maybe it’s their favorite celebration of the year. Maybe when they were kids, they wished it had been a bigger deal and now is their chance to make it happen for their own kids. Maybe they save up all year just to do an over-the-top Christmas. Maybe…just maybe…it’s not your family’s celebration, so again…just let it go.
Applauding a Fellow Mom’s Accomplishments
Some moms have a knack for keeping a clean house, some for always being on-time, some for keeping their kids’ plates packed with delicious nutritious meals. Maybe some “Pinterest moms” fall short in these areas, but excel in the area of creativity. It’s impossible to do it all, so let’s all celebrate the things we are able to get done, regardless of what it is.
Working on Things so You Don’t Have To
It seems like there are always events and things for school or extracurricular activites that require volunteer parents to chip in extra time or resources. A lot of times, there is a Pinterest mom ready to step-in. She knows how to design costumes or create an epic snack time. Whatever it is, she’s ready to work her magic and now you don’t have to worry about it.
Call on Her for Help
Now that we’re admitting that Pinterest projects are not our strong-suit and are celebrating the Pinterest Mom, call on her to help you out when you DO want to accomplish a project. Don’t ask her to do it for you (and if she offers, please compensate her somehow), but invite her in to brainstorm ideas and figure out ways to give things a special touch. Then, Voila, instead of a Mom War, you’ve created a solid Mommy Alliance.
Two and Three Quarters 