All through history women who stay home with their children have found ways to stay connected to their girlfriends. Whether it was weekly bridge games, church pot lucks or that big old rotary dial phone, women need friends.
Friends offer support and understanding. They know what you live through every day. Staying at home with children, while it can be extremely rewarding and satisfying, it can also be mind numbingly brutal and a true test of will. Your sanity will be called into question on most days.
All day long we talk about kid topics and play kid games and solve every problem that a three-year old can throw at us. Every now and then we just need a break. Mommy/child play groups are an excellent outlet, a way to socialize your kids and talk to actual adults. Some days you just can’t do that though. Some days it is just you, your little sweetie.
I have become increasing involved in social media in the last couple of years. It is a great way to stay connected to people who you haven’t seen since high school graduation. AND also the ladies you just saw at the grocery store.
Every time there is a new website launched I get a little giddy. It is our only view into the outside world on some days. We can read about what all the other mothers are battling today with their kids, as we eat pretzels and laugh because thank goodness it is not me.
OHHH you locked your keys in your car, in the pouring rain, with little precious asleep in her car seat? That is AWESOME. Then you immediately post a comment saying that you are so sorry that she is having a terrible day and that you are sure tomorrow will be better.
Because after all you can picture yourself in this same predicament on any given day. And don’t you think for a minute that your post doesn’t mean something to that poor mother. She feels touched that you take the time to appreciate her struggle. It is all about support.
Let’s talk about some of the mom-essential sites. Of course the biggest one for moms is Facebook. It is the king of all kings. You can solicit advice, offer tips, post pictures of Jr. with a bloody hole in his mouth where a tooth used to be and check in at your local Publix store.
Don’t worry all of us moms will “like” your post.
You can use Facebook to plan your events as well. Whether it is a Tastefully Simple party or Premier Jewelry we moms will flock to it, if you invite us on Facebook. This should be the first site you check in the morning and the last thing you scan at night.
Also if you are experience insomnia it is perfectly acceptable to post this fact at 3 AM. Somewhere another mother is experiencing the same problem and will comment on your post.
Another social media outlet that is huge today is Twitter. Although, unlike some people, we stay at home moms often can’t seem to keep up with this one. We are restricted in our post characters and we just posted everything on Facebook so what are we supposed to do on here?
Why follow celebrities of course! Follow every famous person (and even those who are not near as famous as they would like to believe) and stay involved in their lives. It will almost be like you are bffs.
You had lettuce for lunch today? So did I! You are going to be on the Grammys next week? I will be watching the Grammys! It is a way to add some excitement to the often hum drum days that we live. We put on an expensive gown, have our hair and make up done, get loaned expensive shoes and jewels exactly ZERO times a year. We are glad some of you get to.
Next on the list is Pinterest. It is the one that lets you dream of the days when you will be a fashionista, superior chef and the craftiest person in your circles. Pinterest allows you to post pictures and links in every single area that you suck.
You want fabulous clothes? Well post this picture and see if they appear in your closet. You want to be a better cook? Forget all of that just post fabulous recipes, reading them is way more fun anyway. Find all of the crafty, genius ideas that there is no way you will ever attempt.
It really can make you feel like a new woman, full of hope and promise. Except on the days when it makes you feel like a total complacent loser. Oh look, everyone on the planet is better at everything than me.
The last of my big four is Instagram. Instagram is all about pictures. You can download apps and add cute little frames and witty text to thousands of pictures of your kids. Post them all because your mom friends will love them. They understand you. It makes them feel okay about posting all of the pictures of their kids.
Even though you are actually the only one who believes that your kid is the cutest one in the world, we moms get that. We feel the same way about ours.
Instagram is not only for pics of your kids though. You may also post animals, food, accessories or anything that you wish. You mom friends will be so impressed by your photography skills.
Now that I have explained the way stay at home moms use social media I hope you can understand us better. Please do not judge us if we are staring at our phone while our kid is hanging from the monkey bars screaming “Mom look at this, look at this!!”
If we are chatting, don’t be offended if our phone buzzes with a notification and we glance down. Sure the no-cell-phones-at-lunch-with-friends rule is a good one but you better know that I am going to make several restroom trips just to stay caught up.
Social media is the modern-day soap operas that my grandmother adored. It is our entertainment, our guilty pleasure and our release. Thanks for reading this post. Now check those phones and tablet.
There is no telling what you have missed.
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