Rebelling Against Mother-hood Stereotypes

Being a mother is the toughest job in the world. It is a guaranteed lifetime commitment and there is no retirement. It is very easy when juggling your many commitments to loose what makes you unique. Prior to becoming a parent you might have been known as a fantastic medical transcriptional or  as the attractive woman in chemistry class, but now you are the nurturing light in a tiny beings life. We define ourselves in many ways, but when our whole existence revolves around another person it's easy to put ourselves on the back burner and live strictly for our children.
The sad truth is that one day our children will become their own people and we will be left with a void in our self imagine. That is why it is incredibly important for mother's to maintain their individuality. As a society, we have an image of what a mother is supposed to be ingrained in us. When we think of a mom, we think of the stereotypical fifties house mom with fresh-baked cookies and a polka dotted dress. The truth is I don't know a single woman that is or wants to be that way. However, society sees motherhood as a time to try and conform to as close to that fifties image as you can. Too often, I see moms that hide their true selves to better fit the ideal mom. Mothers that once danced to their own beat are now becoming soccer moms with a mini van and a pink sweater from Old Navy. It's not natural to suppress your personality.
I personally have decided to rebel against the stereotype by having purple hair. This choice is not one for everyone, but I have always been a bit of a rocker chick and I feel it expresses my pre-motherhood self. Obviously, I don't have the time I once did to attend concerts and mingle with musicians, but I still listen to my hardcore music and am trying to stay true to myself. I have found that by maintaining my individuality, I am more prone encourage individuality in my children. I think it is important to encourage self awareness at a young age and I have been leading by example.
Don't get me wrong, motherhood forces you to rethink your priorities and for a lack of a better word grow up, but it doesn't mean you have to completely sacrifice yourself. I know when I first became a stay at home mom I was excited. I wanted to give my children all the love and affection in their younger years that they deserve. It didn't take long before I felt like Rosie from the Jetsons. I felt like a robot buzzing around my home mindless. I no longer felt like the opinionated passionate artistic person I once was. I was a mom-bot with no other purpose than to service the needs of my family from the moment I woke up until I went to bed. That's when I realized that to help my family I had to help myself.
I have been significantly happier just by making baby-sets towards blending the two me s together. Like the southern saying goes "If momma ain't happy no one's happy". By becoming a more complete version of my self I have been living a more fulfilled and happy life. Everyone has their own path to their true self, mine just happened to be through purple hair. I hope that my story inspires you to go out and reconnect with the real you.