Working Women Can Make The Yummiest Mummies By Sherine Mansour
Whether you’re a working mom, a self-employed mom, or a famous mom the balancing act that is your daily life doesn’t have to be about sacrificing and losing your identity for the good of the child. Just ask Erica Ehm.
She’s taking mummyhood to the TRUE basics …modern mothers looking for adult stimulation.
Hear the name Erica Ehm and, if you’re a sixties or seventies child, you know instantly whom we’re talking about. Erica was an icon of Canadian television in the early eighties. Working for Much Music as the first female interviewer, Erica has shared her time with some of the world’s biggest music stars. Her career has spanned television, film, radio and theatre. She’s an accomplished songwriter and has written a book on women and success. Now she’s committed to the "mummy" cause, reminding women everyone they don’t have to lose themselves in order to focus on their children.
1. What first turned you onto the idea of the "yummy mummy" and how do you define it?
I remember reading a very important book a while back, "The Meaning of Wife," by Ann Kingston and being struck by what I read. Society has really changed since our own mothers raised us, you know, when supper would be on the table by 5 and your father would come home, eat dinner, say a few words to the family then retreat to watch television. Men are far more domesticated than they’ve ever been, they’re more connected to their families in a hands-on way and families with this kind of male involvement are happier families. As a result of that women are able to recapture whom they are during motherhood by letting their husbands have those special times WITHOUT mummy. That means more time to indulge, to take care of yourself, and to feed your soul.
2. What, in your opinion, happens to women when they become mummies?
You become send class citizens, when you’re a mom. People forget that you’re women first, and mummies second. I’m always struck by how mother magazines are always showing women as moms, never just as women who happen to have children. You begin to lose yourself, your sense of who you are. And if you happen to be one of those mothers who decides to stay home with the children, your identity is tied to the children more than ever and you begin to lose sight of the person you used to be. It’s important to not allow yourself to shrivel up or you won’t be a very good rol model.
3. Why did you decide to make this your cause?
Someone had to start it. And I’m ready to take the heat about my viewpoint on who mothers are and how they should be. I’m not ashamed to talk about it within my own family and my own circles. My children are very proud of me.
4. Tell me a little bit about what you’ve seen as the evolution of the family in our society over the last few years.
Anything goes now and that’s exciting. We’re not being restricted to society’s definition of what a family is, we’re breaking out of that we’re making our own rules. Gay families, mixed marriages, people who are adopting by choice, single parent opting for an independent donor, choosing single parenthood through divorce – whatever beautiful permeation there is – it’s out there and it’s the new reality. The stay at home dad is really big right now because more and more women are the main breadwinners. It’s all about intimate communities that we build as we choose and how we travel through the world together. It’s very liberating.
5. Lets focus on mothers since that is your specialty. How have mothers evolved over the past twenty years? What has been the impact on children and families when it comes to this "new age mom."
We’re having children later and later and there’s a lot that goes with that. If you’ve had them later there’s a good chance you had a career first and when you had that career you could define what success was and you had your own barometers to know when you were successful and in control. You had defined schedules, you were making money. And then you become a mother and everything changes. Suddenly you’re not sure how to define your success and you’re not able to really stick to schedules. Our own mothers didn’t really have to suffer through that transition period of career woman to mother hood, so they didn’t have to deal with all those emotions that happen. And nowadays you look at your partner differently than our mothers did. They’re job was to keep the house in order, cook the meals, bathe the children. In today’s world we’re making the money and suddenly we’re wondering why our husbands don’t do the laundry for a change. Our expectations are different and the goal is try and keep your sexy self alive through it all.
6. What are you hoping to accomplish with the work you do?
Yummy mummy is empowering. I don’t have to stop who I am because I’m having children – and I really shouldn’t. And that’s the message I’m trying to get out to other women. My hope is to remind women that what they’re feeling is valid, and that they’re setting their own expectations far too high. Lower your expectations of motherhood, redefine what a successful mother means to you and enjoy your life. We’re a generation of over achievers – not that that’s a bad thing – but we’re really just caught between our parents’ reality of parenting and what it means to be a successful woman in today’s world.
Erica’s message culminates this fall with her search for Canada’s yummiest mummy. Could it be you?
Are You Canada´s Yummiest Mummy?
Canada´s Yummiest Mummy Contest, presented by AIRMILES Reward Program, has launched. You could be crowned the yummiest mummy and win our grand prize of 25,000 Airmiles. That´s enough miles for a Trip of a Lifetime plus a ton of online shopping at airmiles.ca
In order to win, you have to create videos starring you. Once you upload your video, tell all your friends and family to vote for you.
This is a popularity contest. So make your videos funny, naughty, entertaining and inspiring. Do whatever it takes to get those votes! Get them up now!
We´re NOT looking for the next Steven Spielberg. We´re looking for a simple little video shot on your digital camera or your cell phone that’s filled with personality and yumminess!
As an added bonus, every time someone votes for you, they are automatically entered to win great prizes as well. It´s win-win for everyone! So get shooting now for a chance to win Yummy, Decadent prizes for Roots, McCain, Crockpot, Cadbury, Disney Baby Einstein and Airmiles!
28.11.2007
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Erica Ehm is one of Canada´s most recognized personalities. Chosen to be the first female MuchMusic host, she became the voice of her generation. Since then Ehm has remained in the spotlight as her multi-faceted media career has blossomed in television, radio, film, theater, journalism, songwriting, and music publishing.
Erica is most well known for her work on television.
She is the co-creator and host of Yummy Mummy, a parenting show for the music video generation, currently airing around the world. Other shows include Baby and You - Rogers Television, Popstars: The One - Global, Real Life with Erica Ehm - Life Network, Power Play - Discovery Channel, and The Company - TVO.
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