It’s tough to be a mom. And being a “perfect mom” is even tougher, a stereotype that has grown and been nurtured for decades.
While 84 percent of mothers believe the "perfect mom" is an outdated standard, nine out of 10 of them still feel pressure to be perfect, USA Today reported.
Andrea Ball, executive director of American Mothers, said that despite more awareness, she does not believe mothers have found a solution to handle unfair expectations — they just get less sleep and sacrifice more personal time.
“Modern moms still feel a lot of pressure that mothers have felt for decades,” Ball told USA Today in an email. “Regardless if you work or don’t, the pressure to accomplish too much daily is a challenge for moms.”
USA Today reported that research from a Baby Dove campaign that was launched Thursday indicated that there is no one right way for mothers to “do it all.” Findings included data from a 2016 Baby Dove Real Mothers Heard study and a 2017 Edelman Intelligence survey of more than 1,000 new mothers, USA Today reported.
A Dove commercial explores what it means to be a modern mom, featuring mothers who are dancers, rock-climbers, single parents, ranchers, or trans. Plus it addresses the issue of new mothers trying to ignore the inevitable onslaught of advice, USA Today reported.
Dove is not the only company speaking out for real mothers, USA Today reported. Celebrities such as Carrie Underwood, Amy Adams, Kerry Washington and Olivia Wilde have haven't been afraid to address their post-pregnancy body and the pressure to “bounce back.”
Anne Hathaway posted an Instagram photo post-pregnancy of her DIY-shorts with a message: “Bodies change. Bodies grow. Bodies shrink. It's all love (don't let anyone tell you otherwise.)”
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