We Put So Much on Mothers Plates, It's No Wonder We Turn to Wine
Earlier this year, a post went viral that bemoaned the paradox of modern motherhood: “Go back to work 6-8 weeks after having the baby... Also, breastfeed for at least a year... Also, lose that baby weight…”
I think every mom could read that piece and nod their head in agreement. Being a mom in 2020 is not just hard, it’s relentless. There are so many mixed messages between putting family first but also practicing self-care. Don’t forget date night. Only buy organic. And if you’re not putting money into your retirement at 30, it’s basically too late.
We are tired.
We are confused.
We are so anxious.
We are desperate.
Women are drinking more than ever. But is anyone surprised? Between the mental load women carry and the day to day stressors to be all and do all, women need an outlet. They need a way to unwind, unload, and relax.
I was one of them. For a long time, I relied on wine to cool off after a day of being a career mom. But according to Joseph Nowinski, PdH, and author of Almost Alcoholic, “Drinking has a tendency to escalate – one glass turns into two and then three.” Soon, I was regularly pouring that third glass; sometimes finishing the whole bottle myself.
I’m in marketing so I know that what the alcohol industry is doing is brilliant. They are offering mothers a ‘solution’. They’ve been looking for ways to increase female consumption for years, and they’ve got a hook line and sinker by targeting moms specifically.
They tell us wine is the answer. They tell us wine is good for us. And their messaging reverberates across the social atmosphere. Wine is the antidote to parenting struggles (according to the media). Kids are the reason mommy drinks wine (according to social media).
What the alcohol industry and your social media memes don’t tell you is alcohol is a depressant. It actually makes anxiety and depression worse over time. Which is completely counter intuitive to the ads of people looking so happy and carefree as they drink their prosecco and laugh with friends. Or the mom sipping wine while looking on adoringly at her kids playing perfectly together.
Moms, we need to find a better outlet for our stress. We need to reach for something that is not addictive and cancer causing. Something that is not a class one carcinogen.
I sound like a buzz kill. Literally. But guess what? There is a better life after the buzz. I’m living proof. Two years alcohol free and I’ve never felt, looked or lived better. Take that, wine industry.
It’s time for a massive reality check, mamas. I want to see an ad that shows what being a wino mom really looks at feels like: premature aging, massive headaches, and low energy.
An ad with a mom on her third glass of wine -- still stressed but drunk on top of it -- scrolling Facebook begrudgingly while her kids play on their iPads because mom is out of energy and out of f*cks.
No one talks about what living sober looks and feels like. You don’t see any memes that say “My kids are the reason I stay sober.” But there should be. Because being sober is the best thing I ever did, for my kids and for me.
But don't expect to see that ad anytime soon. Sober doesn't sell the bottles now, does it?