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Earth Mother: A definition.

135 replies

spidermama · 22/07/2005 20:08

I've been Mumsnetting for 2/3 weeks but so far I've only seen 'Earth Mother' being used as a derogatory term.

It's used to imply a smug, self-satisfied woman who judges others.

However, according to Collins English Dictionary an earth mother is ....

  1. a female Goddess considered as the source of fertility and life.
  2. the Earth, personified .... or ....
  3. a fecund or sensual woman.

    Mmm Hmmmm!
    I can understand it's not everyone's cup of tea but I, for one, unashamedly aspire to be an earth mother.
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lockets · 22/07/2005 20:11

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hunkermunker · 22/07/2005 20:12

People who use it as an insult tend to be jealous that the people they are calling it have beautiful relationships with their own children and those around them

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Lonelymum · 22/07/2005 20:12

SM, you have only been here 2/3 weeks? Really? The convo about your ds is a dress seems longer ago than that. Just goes to show how quickly you can establish yourself!

Anyway, re earth mother. I don't think of it as a derogatory phrase, but I don't think I would make it as one either. To me, an earth mother is someone serene, someone who takes mothering very calmly and in her stride, doesn't get worked up about parenting, goes with the flow, attracts children to her.... I could go on. Either way, it is definitely not me!

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Lonelymum · 22/07/2005 20:13

in a dress

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spidermama · 22/07/2005 20:13

It's not quite me either lm, but it's what I'm aiming at.

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chicagomum · 22/07/2005 20:18

i'd love to get even half way there! (p.s. excuse my ignorance, but what does fecund mean?)

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spidermama · 22/07/2005 20:20

fecund means fertile I think. Will just check.

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spidermama · 22/07/2005 20:21

fecund: Greatly productive. Fertile. Yummmy. (Not the last one. Made that one up )

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Nightynight · 22/07/2005 20:22

i think EM is sometimes used as a derogatory term because of the jealous suspicion that someone who looks like an EM must have a rich dh somewhere in the background, instead of working 24/7 like the rest of us!

For example, how would the source of fertility and life cope with getting three toddlers off to nursery and herself off to a demanding job, paying bills etc half the day while pretending to work, coming home and cleaning up, cooking supper, washing it up, doing bedtime and falling asleep reading a story to the children? She might get a little frazzled, and her fecund sensuality could dip a tad.

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chicagomum · 22/07/2005 20:22

oh in that case i fufil one of the criteria!! dh only has to look at me and i fall pregnant

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hercules · 22/07/2005 20:23

I think of myself as an ap parent - attachment parenting.

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PeachyClair · 22/07/2005 20:44

I've been called it a lot, but I think more in a casserole for tea, make some crafts, hair needs a brudh and that skirt is awful sort of way!

Quite an accurate description of me too often but then I admit to the washable nappies / make your dinner from scratch approach

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PeachyClair · 22/07/2005 20:45

oh just saw Spidermama's post: fecund: each one of mine was conceived in one cycle. yep.

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Papillon · 22/07/2005 20:52

I am an Earth Mother



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roosmum · 22/07/2005 21:16

i'd LOVE it if someone called me one - whether in a degoratory sense or not

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roosmum · 22/07/2005 21:17

oh rats, DEROGATORY even (been a long day!)

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bossykate · 22/07/2005 21:23

pmsl, nightynight!

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Blu · 22/07/2005 21:36

I think an earth mother is someone who is all those things (1., 2., and 3.), and probably tends towards organic homecooked food, too. But a real earth mother, and this is why it is a derogatory term, also wears those awful mock batik trousers that used to be sold at glastonbury a decade back in the previous century.

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oops · 22/07/2005 21:48

Message withdrawn

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oops · 22/07/2005 21:50

Message withdrawn

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madmarchhare · 22/07/2005 21:52

Definately sandal wearing oops, dangly earings too.

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spidermama · 22/07/2005 21:53

It does make sense oops but only because we earth mother types (yes I am outing myself) nhave become so self concious in the face of accuations of being smug.

For the record Blu, I did buy the most God-awful pair of tie dye trousers from ebay a couple of months ago but I NEVER wore them. I'm teetering on the extremities.

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tarantula · 22/07/2005 21:54

PMSL I wanna be an earth mother too but as I ahve to go out and earn the crust its dp whos being the earth father (including breadmaking , nappy washing and growing veg (or at least trying to))

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bossykate · 22/07/2005 21:55

blu, i'm afraid i must disagree - they are sold at glastonbury now. dh brought back the baby/child wear versions for dd and ds!

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SenoraPostrophe · 22/07/2005 21:55

I spose it could be derogatory like "gaudaian reader" can be derogatory. I posted a thread on it, apparently it means long, probably unwashed hair, posh german sandals, mooncup. or something.

it's me to a tee (apart from the mooncup and german sandals. and my hair is clean)

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