(Am I a “real” mom?)
“It feels like you’re really officially, really truly a mother when you have two kids.”
Really?
I’m pretty sure actress Jessica Alba regrets having uttered those words during an interview with PEOPLE magazine.
Then again, maybe she stands behind each and every syllable.
Alba’s comment went viral months ago, yet whenever I conduct an online search for information about transitioning from a one-child household to a two-child home, the Hollywood mom’s infamous quote still pops up.
Seems as though parents of singletons don’t much care for the movie star’s opinion on what it takes to be a “real” mother.
Apparently, in Alba’s world, laboring for 20-forever hours straight , and then spending the next 18 years or so shedding blood, sweat and tears for one–and only one–measly child puts you on a level that pales in comparison to moms with multiple children.
According to Alba–mother to 3-year-old Honor and 6-month-old Haven–to be on a level in which you are “really” and “truly” a mom, you have to pop out at least two kids, instead of just one.
“Good to know that my one healthy amazing child and 2 subsequent heartbreaking miscarriages make me only partially a mom.”
That’s just one of the bazillion or so comments left on Internet parenting forums, message boards and other sites which reposted Alba’s self-centered remark.
Okay, maybe Jess’ comment was not meant to reflect self-centeredness or self-righteousness or… stupidity. Regardless, it was at the very least poorly conceived and communicated. It also shows that the actress should really look into getting a new handler, and then have said publicist prep her prior to interviews in which she has to come up with her own words to describe her innermost thoughts.
Or maybe she should just stick to reading scripts.
In any event, as a mom of one–and only one–adorably scrumptious, delightful, articulate, nearly perfect bundle of absolute joy, I sympathize with the moms who categorize Alba as “insensitive” and “ignorant.” As many moms of singletons aptly point out, Alba’s comments fly in the face of women struggling with infertility, not to mention those whose children have died via accidents, natural disasters, suicide or murder.
And what of the mothers whose children have been abducted and are still missing?
Are they less than “real” mothers?
What do you make of Alba’s comments?