I am not bloody mumsy!

Lucy Hoad - 10 Feb 16

I promised myself when I started this blog (or free therapy sessions) that I would never write posts for the sake of it. The last few weeks have been manic with my hubby’s Birthday, Jack starting football lessons and general life so it has been a while since my last post. Bizarrely the thing that inspired me to sit down with a G&T on the sofa with my laptop this evening was a haircut! Long story short I have been thinking of having a bit of a shorter cut (apparently the ‘in’ term is a ‘lob) but was umming and ahhing as I was panicked it would make me look ‘mumsy’! I then started to realise that this is a deep seated fear I have been carrying around since having my son. What the hell is ‘mumsy’ anyway and why I am so terrified of it? Google’s definition doesn’t inspire much confidence: ‘giving an impression of dull domesticity; dowdy or unfashionable‘. Bloody marvellous!

There seems to be a consensus amongst my fellow mum friends that this is a dirty word and not something you would want to be called. It conjures up negative images of frumpy twin set knitted cardigans with ill fitting jeans. However, looking online I have a also seen being a ‘mumsy’ mum described as someone who can whip up a prize winning fancy dress costume at a moments notice and spends everyday baking bread and making macaroons. So basically a ‘super mum’ who has all her shit together (is there such a thing)? It seems many mums nowadays are rebelling against this myth of a ‘perfect mum’ and we are embracing our faults and fuck ups as well as our triumphs. That can only be a good thing right?

I am proud to be a mum but resent it being a label of who I am. Especially if it has negative connotations that suggests being a mum makes you boring and characterless. If anything since having my son I am more confident with my body and what I wear. I have more of a ‘fuck it’ mentality, something I wish I had when I was younger.  Now four years old, Jack is the funniest little human being I know and brings out the child in both me and my hubby. I run around giggling hysterically when we play hide and seek, frantically trying to find a good hiding place as he counts ‘1,2,5,8,15, 11, 20 COMING TO GET YOU MUMMY’! We love playing sword fights and running around the house having epic battles and pretending to dramatically chop each others limbs off. So yes I am a mum/ stunt woman; yes I wear t-shirt, jeans and trainers sometimes but I also occasionally rock a pair of heels a lippy and I am certainly not ‘Mumsy’.

At the end of my mini revelation I did end up cutting my hair and will not ask if it looks ‘mumsy’ ever again!

Please share your thoughts on the taboo word ‘mumsy’. Do you class it as positive or negative?

x

Lucy Hoad

The honest ravings, thoughts and stories of a loving but imperfect mother, wife and wine lover.

View profile for posts, events and more info