It’s the end of a long day and I decide to come out of my mommy bubble of diapers, laundry and wiping spills to check what’s going on in the rest of the world. You know, just to make sure all is where I left it last.
I log onto Facebook to get a quick glimpse of life around town; in just a few minutes I’ll be brought up to date. I’ll know what friends and strangers made for dinner, see pictures of all the cool places that everyone else visits, and know which stores are having the greatest deals.
It’s time to unwind and check up on the outside world.
And suddenly I feel things starting to slowly go downhill.
What moments before had been a great, fun day with me being an involved, active mommy is shattering to pieces.
10 foods that are destroying you! the first headline blares.
Gulp, what was this!? The picture looks like it was taken in my refrigerator.
Could it be I’m hoarding destructive food in my own house? What am I doing to my family?
I continue scrolling.
Do you know what you’re feeding your kids? Stay away from big supermarkets!
Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are being sued for mislabeling products. Even their food isn’t good for you. Buy from your local farmers. It’s the only way.
Help! What am I feeding my kids? I push it out of my mind and keep scrolling down.
Don’t let your baby cry it out! You won’t believe what it can do to your child!
Should I click to read more? No, the headlines says enough.
I’m a believer of crying it out; it works and sure makes for a good sleep plan. As a matter of fact, all my good sleeper kids were sleep trained. But still, my mommy conscience starts the guilt thing. Uh oh, what have I done to them?
Against my better judgement, I keep scrolling.
Vaccinations! The reports are out!
By this time I have a pit in my stomach; I don’t even want to hear if the reports are good or bad. I vaccinate. Period. But there’s 18,000 likes and 4,567 comments…should I read it?
What if I’m the only mom left out of the loop on this new vaccination development? And once again, against my better judgement, I scan the article. It’s an anti vaccinations one. Thankfully, it’s nothing new.
So I keep scrolling. The pit in my stomach is growing; now it’s a double knot.
Do you realize what you are putting inside you?
I watch a quick video of coke in a pot being boiled until the water is burnt out; a big glob of black-sugar-blob remains.
Phew, I kicked my coke habit a few years ago, I’m good on this one.
But at tonight’s barbecue I kind of let the kids choose a can…I think they all chose coke…I’m in trouble! I can practically hear the sugar blobs gurgling as the kids sleep…
Know where your vegetables come from! You won’t believe what happens to them in transport!
I think of my bananas sitting on the counter…and I’m pretty sure the little sticker on it that my kids love to collect says Ecuador. How did they ship them here?? I bet it wasn’t in first class…am I feeding my kids the terrible stuff it says here? Here I was feeling so proud that the baby eats a banana every day for breakfast…
Recall! Kirkland Black Pepper! Traces of Salmonella!
I use that in practically every dish!! If we are feeling fine until now, does that mean the one I have is safe??
But suddenly I’m nauseous and I have a headache.
Germs. Do you know what germs are lurking on your door knobs? Your cell phone has more germs than…
I’m done. I stop reading.
Now I’m a wreck; what an awful mom I am after all! Destroying my family! Feeding them toxins!
What will be? Should we move to a farm and grow our own stuff? Can we live off the crop we get from our garden?
I glance at the next few headlines; water safety, secondary drowning, heat advisory, kids left in cars by mistake. This stuff can make any mom fall apart!
I turn off the screen and shove my phone across the couch. I don’t want to have anything to do with it.
Only ten minutes ago I was a great mom. Now I am doing it all wrong. And my worry list had just quadrupled.
Maybe all these mommy groups and instant news updates aren’t such a good thing after all.
Are they making me a confident mom or a paranoid mom?
Are they making me more diligent in taking care of my kids, or turning me into the world’s worst helicopter mom?
Are they making me happier or more neurotic?
A calmer mom or a nervous wreck mom?
No, this certainly isn’t making me be a better mother. If I keep on reading, I know just the type of mom I’ll become- the overbearing type that really ruins their kids.
I’m ready to go back to the old way.
Away with the mommy groups. Back to using common sense, advice from good friends, wisdom from my mother’s experience and an occasional visit to Google.
Little Yellow Notepad 