In the car, in the days preceding Halloween…
He-Twin (with kindness): “How come you and Daddy don’t dress up for Halloween? Lots of parents do, you guys should this year.”
Mommy: “Well maybe I should get one of those silly beanie hats with a propeller and be a ‘helicopter mom’.”
She-Twin (curiously): “What’s a helicopter mom?”
Mommy (ever-the-educator…): “You know how some moms hover over their kids all the time, making sure that they don’t hurt themselves or make a mistake—even if it’s one they could learn from? They use a lot of Purell…..oooh! Maybe I should be a ‘tiger mom’ instead!”
He-Twin (clearly non-plussed so far by my ideas…): “What is a tiger mom?”
Mommy (pleased with her parenting-style familiarity and fluency): “Tiger moms are very committed to their children’s success and make them practice their instruments for hours, do homework of their own devising beyond teacher assignments, and are very, very strict about playdates and ‘just for fun’ activities.”
She-Twin (a quick study): “You are a helicopter mom; and Daddy is a tiger dad.”
Not entirely convinced by She-Twin’s cursory analysis, I went as the mom I often believe myself to be.
Which ‘mom’ am I?
More often than not, Witch Mom.
