Snowplow, Helicopter, Whatever Hip Buzzword You Use — I’m Tired Of The Mega-Judgment of So Many Supposedly Non-Judgmental Parents

W.T.F.

I’m on several dozen e-mailing lists, because I’m nutty like that.

I use them for fuel and fodder for my writing, and for my bottomless infomania — I frickin’ love information.

Among those many e-mailing lists are parenting mailing lists. The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Washington Post’s On Parenting, Refinery29’s Mothership, Scary Mommy, VICE News’ Broadly and a bunch of others help fill my inbox to a number that would make you feel concerned for me. I read them all, and then I keep the ones that have interesting tidbits in them to use later for stories and pitches.

But one thing I’ve been noticing today (and previously) is the repetition of the words “Helicopter” and now, “Snowplow” in the parenting newsletters. Today alone, in both Huffington Post and the New York Times newsletters were pieces shaming mothers about helicoptering and snowplowing.

As a mom who takes caring for my son very seriously, I have a lot of problems with the shaming that comes along with it. I’ve given up a lot to be his full-time stay-at-home mom, champion, provider, helper, advocate, yada yada. I didn’t know that was how it was going to go at all. I really didn’t.

I assumed I’d pop him out and jump right back into performing as quickly as I could.