Friday, March 28, 2014

Gwyneth Paltrow Thinks She's Pretty Great

Like most working moms today, I was chuckling along as I read the scathing New York Post article: A Working Mom's Open Letter to Gwyneth Paltrow. I have to admit, I was initially annoyed by Ms. Paltrow's out of touch comments to E when she basically said she has it so much harder than us silly moms working our sweet and easy nine-to-fives. In fact, I acted very similarly to the goat in Bob Shea's genius book Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great. I was all like, "OH! Gwyneth Paltrow thinks she's pretty great!"

Illustration by Bob Shea

I kept thinking all these snarky comments about Gwyneth Paltrow...that was until I got sucked into reading the comments on the New York Post article. On the surface it seemed like working women were uniting on a common front: We work hard! We commute long hours! We run ourselves ragged! We make dinners, do laundry, make lunches, clean houses, put the kids to bed, answer emails late at night, love and spend time with our kids, and work 40 plus hours outside the home on top of that!!! However, instead of raising each other up, the people commenting were tearing each other down in an impossible game of "I have a tougher life than you do!" Look, no one will win that contest. I am pretty sure the moms who have it toughest are too busy dealing with things that they aren't online reading gossip. So we all lose. And suddenly this is how I felt:

Illustration by Bob Shea

It is like that time when you kill yourself staying up at night trying to make purple cupcakes for your kid's class after the teacher asked you to bring in a purple snack for a lesson on the color purple and after you take into account all the allergies (making them gluten free, dairy free, and egg free) the cupcakes don't really turn out right....AND....

Illustration by Bob Shea

some other mom makes it freaking rain cupcakes!! True story.

Illustration by Bob Shea
Suddenly, you find yourself bashing that mom. You find a million reasons why she has it so much easier than you do. Obviously she has help- like a nanny and family and a cleaning person and well the list goes on and on. It is a rediculously human reaction. And, the thought process runs counter to those lessons you have been probably teaching your kids. This is why reading children's books with your kids is so important. Even as adults we need to be reminded on how to be a good person. It isn't just the kids that should be learning, we as adults should be absorbing the invaluable lessons that children's books teach.

When I was a kid and would complain at the dinner table that other kids have it so much easier than I do, my dad would always say, "Don't judge them until you have walked a mile in their shoes." I never really understood what he meant. It is a REALLY hard lesson to learn. It is an ever harder to take the a time out and remember that even though I think that Gwyneth Paltrow thinks she's pretty great, she may be going though her own struggles. The crazy thing is we know she is going through her own struggles. So, maybe as women instead of tearing her and each other apart, we should be supportive.

Yeah, maybe Gwyneth Paltrow is this amazing unicorn, but I have freaking cloven hooves. What I mean is this: We all have our struggles, and it may seem that the other person has it so easy. However, if we took the time to focus on the other person's strengths, we women would be an unstoppable team.

Illustration by Bob Shea

And that is why you should run out and purchase your own copy of Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great written and illustrated by Bob Shea. I think the book is genius. We read it again tonight after I realized I needed to be reminded of the awesome lessons taught in this book. 
Written and illustrated by Bob Shea
I purchased the review copy of this book for my own personal library.  (We love Bob Shea so much I ran out and purchased it as soon as it was released in 2013.)

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33 comments:

  1. Perfect text to real life comparison! Bonus: A fabulous book review! Many of us moms can relate to your analysis. Thanks for sharing your insights. You are appreciated!

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    1. Thanks Mary! Yes, we are all in it together. We should be supporting each other. ;-)

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  2. You are on target here...the grass is always greener on the other side...

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    1. And sometimes, I say the grass is brown everywhere. ;-)

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  3. Awesome post, Jenny. Always a lesson to learn....and re-learn....and re-learn...and...
    Loved the way you tied together several lessons (and a fab book) here.

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    1. Thanks Hilarie! Yes, I am constantly re-learning lessons. It is a process, right?

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  4. Oh we love this book so much too and husband and I can't stop telling each other to "Taste My Cloven Justice, Ha" We got this at the library but we are going to purchase, pure genius must reside in our house, not just the library, he he. Thanks so much for joining in the Kid Lit blog Hop

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    1. I had a good chuckle with my husband over this book. The cloven justice part is priceless!

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  5. Fab post, I love your energy!

    Doesn't it just go to show that picture books are oh so relevant for adults as well as kids?!

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    1. I agree, children's books are relevant for both adults and kids.

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  6. Excellent post! I haven't read this, but I will absolutely be getting it asap!! Thanks for sharing on the kid lit blog hop!!!!

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    1. Thanks you! You won't be disappointed, I promise!

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  7. Cute post. I have this book on my too purchase list. Hopping over from the kid lit blog hop.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed the post.

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  8. I love how you used the children's book to talk about a current ... hmm, not sure whether to call it a current situation, event, or just internet quibble. But I love how you used the book.

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    1. Thanks Christy! It is funny how life can reflect art sometimes.

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  9. Jenny - this is a fantastic post with a great reminder and a fab book recommendation. Thank you for that - I am going to look for it at the library! You are an entertaining reviewer. Thank you for sharing this post on the Kid Lit Blog Hop! :)
    ~Cool Mom
    for The Stanley & Katrina Gang

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    1. Thanks! And thanks for stopping and reading my post. So excited to find The Stanley and Katrina Gang blog through the blog hop.

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  10. Oh, Gwyneth... she's certainly not making any friends, is she? I hate to see moms war over who has it the toughest - you're right, no one can win that contest. We should be building each other up, not tearing each other down!
    I'm a huge fan of Bob Shea, so this book is going to the top of my must-have list! Thanks for sharing your awesome post with the Kid Lit Blog Hop!

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    1. Hi Katie! Thanks so much! Sometimes the mom wars drive me crazy, but it is so easy to get sucked in. Good thing there are books like Bob Shea's to remind us things like mom wars are silly.

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  11. Haha! I love this. My husband and I have had a good laugh over Gwyneth's latest foot-in-mouth, because hey, what else can you do? I just don't think she will ever get it, and hey, why would she? She has never been there, nor will she ever be there. And yes, at first I was cheering on that NY Post article, but who wants to expel that much energy being angry at a celebrity? I love this book so much, by the way. Hilarious way to tie a picture book into a post like this. Bravo!

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    1. Thanks Danzel!! She is out of touch, but I think that is what makes it perfect fodder to relate to this book.

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  12. So true! And the mom wars totally baffle me. Even as I find myself sucked in.

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    1. Yes, the mom wars are hard not to get sucked into. I am always having to check myself.

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  13. Jenny, I love how you tied Gwyneth's insensitive comment which irked me as well to this great picture book! You are right about bashing moms about who has it worse is not a battle that anyone wins. What a great post. I loved it! Thanks for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop! Will tweet and pin as well!

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    1. Thanks Mia!!! You comment has made my day. You are such a blogging rockstar. ;-) Thanks for hopping over.

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  14. The written piece is truly fruitful for me personally; continue posting these types of articles.

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  15. wow so cute, draw very beautiful, I really like them.

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  16. my kids love this book very much...keep sharing...

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  17. wow so cute!!! keep sharing these types of articles.

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  18. It's just a very valuable bit of details. I will be happy you shared this handy details around. Be sure to stop us updated like that. Appreciation for spreading.

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