Earth Mother: A definition.

[spidermama]

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.

[mizmiz]

rofl magscat!!!!

[alexsmum]

got a friend who makes fruit tea and sweetens it with honey , chills it and gives it to her kids instead of normal juice. that's quite earth mothery!
if bikini waxes are a defining part of earth motherdom- then i'm on the way! never had one done -too scared ....prefer au naturel!

[Magscat]

I went to a museum with a friend the other day. Between us we had 3 boys aged 4 to 6 and my baby daughter.

On the way out we looked at the museum's 'Visitors' Comments' book and someone had written (about 5 minutes earlier) 'nice museum apart from the Earth Mothers and their brats'.

We were the only women with kids in there. Neither of us were wearing 'hippy' clothes (I have a few but was wearing jeans that day) and we weren't going round talking about lentil stew or mooncups or anything and no-one could have seen dd's cotton nappies. I didn't even need to b/f her while we were there.

So what was it about us that made someone call us 'Earth Mother' ?

We thought it was funny - agree it's a daft thing to say when you want to be negative about someone.

[bijou]

And a hammock.

Big loose dresses and no telly.
Lots of oats and soy milk for breaky.
No sugar in the house. Only honey and blackstrap molasses.

[moondog]

That's funny Senora!

EMs would be expected to have some sort of faded and dusty ethnic mobile/windchime/wallhanging somewhere in their house.

[SenoraPostrophe]

actually maybe it's not a brazilian that's an "English", maybe that's a bikini line wax. This all goes to show how much i care about it anyway.

[SenoraPostrophe]

a brazilian is called an "English" in Spain.

anyway that's another em point for me

I also forgot:

grows own veg.
keeps chickens.
doesn't spend all her time on mumsnet.

[moondog]

An EM would never buy a travel system.

Bulky complicated sling a must!

[moondog]

rofl indeed! Triceratops,weeping at the thought of Fran's nipples and fiddly folk music.

I have to duck out of the inedible food thing. I am a great cook (although have to concede spidermama that after a day or two of trying to convince myself,came to the conclusion that millet is f*ing vile!

[spidermama]

I'd like to add the following ...

Able to keep a straight face in a sweat lodge.
Knows the value of raw foods.
In touch with spirit.
Is generally supportive of other women.
Is familiar with natural healing methods.
Doesn't wear make-up or deoderant.
Environmentally aware.
Favours a centre parting.
Specialises in flavour-free food.

I'm half-way to earth motherdom.

[triceratops]

I would add that the earth mother would

have a good sex life
not be a fan of a brazillian
have more than one child if possible
know about grains
never say no to a hug
not be afraid to call herself a feminist

[expatinscotland]

Hey! I still use patchouli oil in some of my perfume mixes. I don't hold a scent well, so for day to day use I blend oils and mix them a carrier base of jojoba oil. Patchouli smells fab on me.

But I don't wear Birkenstocks. I used to when I lived in a warmer climate, though. An Austrian boyfriend introduced me to them way back in the 80s.

Not a veg, either.

[SenoraPostrophe]

triceratops.

have we come up with a complete definition yet?

I think so far its:

wears birkenstocks (or other sandle that looks like it should be comfy but probably isn't)
breastfeeds
cooks inedible food
likes animals
is vegetarian, or preferably vegan/macro biotic
eats organic
wears ill fitting tie dyed trousers
is a bit of a hippy
wears patchouli oil
drinks herbal tea
is very nice.

is that right? only 3 out of 10 for me then. Must dig out my patchouli oil - used to wear it in my goth days.

[triceratops]

Right I have got the shoes, they were much cheaper from germany. Can I join now?

I will buy a mooncup eventually but I won't need it for a while as I am pg.

[spidermama]

I would say you're in safe hands taratula.

Trceratops- love your post about childhood in the 70's. I believe 'ROFL' is the appropriate parlance. I also knew some dysfunctional and sadistic children of hippies.

Disagree about Mooncup though. I bet if you tot up all you'd spend on pads or tampons it compares quite well.

[tarantula]

IS the the thread where we can admit that we have listened to Steeleye Span and the Levellers and Christy Moore then?

[triceratops]

And I would buy a moon cup but I think it is ethically indefensible to spend £20 on 20p worth of silicone rubber.

[triceratops]

When I was growing up we had a smallholding and grew own veg, chickens for eggs and goats for milk and cheese, my mum made all my clothes and we didn't have a telly and it was the 70s so everything in the house was brown. But some of my mums friends (from her womens group) were hardcore.

There was one woman called Fran who had two kids called Poppy and Tarzan (I kid you not) who used to look down on our un vegan lifestyle. She had the long grizzled hair and smelled of patchouli and cooked entirely inedible food while listening to fiddly folk music. Her kids were sadists and bullies but according to her they were just being individuals. She also had the longest nipples I have ever seen on a woman, just like my pet goat .

I react against my childhood by not allowing animals in my house, buying my clothes at the supermarket and only eating readymeals. But I still get people calling me an earth mother because I breastfed and I am deeply incurably scruffy.

I have always wanted some birkenstoks. I may buy some right now.

[spidermama]

Agreed about plastic bottles moondog. Not keen on latex teets either whatever they're attatched to.

[mogwai]

moondog...agree re placcy bottles. spoils the whole chanel nail polish look

[Papillon]

Lunachic Have not spoken for awhile, nice to ´see´you.


Just a suggestion but maybe we should try to be Earth Adults re BabyonBoard. Obviously she has felt offended, but it was not on this thread so lets stay beautiful and let it go with the wind.

[jabberwocky]

Over in my neck of the woods we use the term "granola mom"

[moondog]

PS I'm very selfish, with zero stamoina. Precisely why I decided to b/feed!
(Also my aesthetic sensibilitieswere offended by the prospect of those horrid placcy bottles.)

[moondog]

Intersting to know that you never even tried b/feeding mogwai. Had a feeling that you were wavering .....Hope you are enjoying your new arrival!
As you (and I,and many others) have said we all have elements of EM and then areas of non EM. My sister is here at presentand it is really irritating me that her (small) children arte still up,whingeing and griping. Mine were packed off to bed at 7:30,no excuses.
Despite the fact that she has a king sized bed in an enormous room,she has set up a travel cot and two little beds at either side of the bed in order to accommodate every eventuality. (Kids arew 18 mths and 4 today btw. Mine are 4 and 12 mths.)

WYF???

We've already had an altercation about parenting methods.

[mogwai]

I'm NOT an earth mother. I didn't even TRY breastfeeding

I know I made all the right choices for me, and my baby is much adored and very content.

Then again, I admit, I occasionally feel I should have tried it. Same applies to many of the things I consider an "earth mother" would do. I don't regret my choices, wouldn't change a thing if I had the time again, but I do sometimes wish I was different. Wish I had the selflessness and stamina to breastfeed etc. I just don't - no big deal. I admire "earth mothers", but not those who brag about it, that's sooooo sad!!!

What I mean is, I think the term is sometimes used in a derogatory way, I think this might be because other women perhaps feel guilty or secretly jealous. I have moments of feeling both, I'm not afraid to admit it.