Do We Have to Look Abroad to find the G.O.A.T of Mothers?

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

In honor of Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, I’m re-posting this article I wrote back in 2012 regarding the competitive nature of mothering. At the time it seemed like everyone wanted to pit mothers against each other based on their life choices and parenting decisions. Guess what, not much has changed. So, check out the article and let me know if you think it still rings true today. Also, what kind of mother are you?

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As we wind down from the rush of the 2012 summer Olympics, we can now get back to that other arena of international competition, motherhood. Is it

just me, or did the release of Amy Chua’s 2011 book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother take the already competitive field of motherhood to a whole new, international level?

I mean, first the competition was pretty much a domestic affair. In this corner, we had the virtuous Stay-At-Home Mothers (SAHM) fighting valiantly for the title of Better Mother against the plucky Working Moms. But then, enter the Tiger Mother. Not only did Chua raise the bar on what mothers could achieve if they stopped thinking being nice was a requirement for the job, but she introduced the concept that the best mothers might not even be American. *gasp*

And it was on.

French mothers raise better eaters. African mothers raise babies who don’t cry. And according to this article in the New York Times, the best mothers, may be *gulp* fathers! One clever journalist, Mei-Ling Hopgood, decided she could be a better mother by hand-selecting the best practices of mothers from around the globe. The result of her research and parenting-by-country efforts is the book called, How Eskimos Keep their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting (From Argentina to Tanzania and Everywhere in Between). The book is actually quite fascinating and if nothing else, provides some great perspective on what we consider acceptable or standard practice in parenting.

But should we parent based on what works in other countries and cultures? And more importantly, should we be even thinking about motherhood as an international competition? I admit, I tried to be a Tiger mom but I couldn’t hack it. It was too hard. And besides, it didn’t feel like me. But I do understand wanting to do what’s best for your children and if something works in another country, there’s nothing wrong with giving it a try. For example, apparently the Chinese potty train much earlier than we commonly do in the United States. My boys were in diapers until age three. If babygirl could be thinking panties instead of Pampers before three, I’d be super okay with that.

So, no, I’ll never be a Tiger Mom, but maybe a Meltingpot Mom? Yeah, that works for me.

What do you think, dear readers? Is there any harm in glorifying parenting methods in other countries? Do you think one country or culture produces the best mothers? Do you utilize a parenting technique that you ‘borrowed’ from another culture? Let’s hear about it.

I’m listening.

Peace!