Quarantine has taught all of us something, and for me, it’s made me aware of how much we as moms are constantly marketed and encouraged to drink. To always make it to wine o’clock is trendy and also helps us as moms relate these days. I’m the first mom to hold my hand up and admit that I bought into the marketing, its humor, and its wording, but I also realize how it’s normalizing the use of alcohol to cope with the daily stresses of being a mother.
A glass of wine during bath time and one more once they’re in bed. I’m told use it treat as a parent, but there’s that inner voice that is like “Really? What’s this? An adult version of a sticker chart?” laughing to myself. “They whine I wine” is becoming a slogan to our children and motherly duties. I laugh at myself for following this trend. We are submerged daily with memes, tik toks, T-shirts, home decor, cups,baby clothing, notebooks, all with sayings saying “They whine I Wine,” “ Let’s wine about it,” “It takes a village and a vineyard,” “Mom all day, then Rose.”
How did our generation of moms become such a target for the marketing of alcohol use to cope with being a parent?
The protective mother in me started to notice that all the sayings objectify our children as a reason to need alcohol. I can only imagine what their little minds and inner voices must think when they see us wearing a shirt or holding a cup that puts taking care of them as a source of negativity or challenging times. I’m not saying having a glass of wine or a mojito on Taco Tuesday night is wrong, but why is the reason for the drink becoming our children who are blessings we have received as mothers? Why would the strong, devoted, loving, caring moms (that would do anything to protect our children from being bullied) purchase products that put our children as a root cause of alcohol use? I wouldn’t be pleased if my husband wore a shirt that says “my wife causes me to drink” nor would I be comfortable if he labeled his beer “daddy juice.”
I feel this can lead to many negative paths for our children and us as mothers. It may lead them to feel they are a stressor or, worst of all, a hard part of our days that we seek relief from by using alcohol. I hope moving forward as moms we stop buying into this trend. I’m not objecting to drinking but purchasing products linking parenting our children and alcohol don’t need to be related to each other. These days are our best days moments that will go too fast.
Have a toast, a toast to the consistent noise, messes, and dirty little hand prints! Celebrate a full house, dirty floors, the joys of motherhood, not the products that sell that we as mothers drink because we were blessed to be moms. Stay home, stay safe and let’s ride as mothers and continue to set an example to our children with healthy ways of coping with stress and challenges to come.