Mothers have been depicted on TV since, well, the very beginning. Such scenes usually offer sweet, maternal moments, along with the kind of antics that just about any mom can relate to. Maybe these characters aren’t an identical image of how you are as a mother or how your mother was, but it can be refreshing to find commonalities, especially in the deranged roller coaster that is motherhood.
Today, have a little fun and do your best to embody your favorite TV mom. Maybe it’s Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls or Rainbow Johnson from Black-ish. I, for one, am really channeling Morticia Addams from The Addams Family. To each her own!
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 10 Percent
Many women face the ultimate life change while in full swing in their careers. You’ve probably guessed what that change is. It’s called motherhood, and try as we will to plan as much as we can, there are so many things that, as mothers, are out of our hands.
Consider the so-called “motherhood penalty,” which dictates that having a kid is a bad career move. The American Sociological Review conducted research on this subject and found that for each child a woman has, she loses 4 percent of her income. And if a mother is highly skilled and highly paid, she can expect an income penalty of 10 percent per kid. Talk about the mother of all unfair business practices!
WOMAN TO WATCH: Andrea Levoff, Creator of Dope Ass Mom
That motherhood penalty might surprise you because many moms don’t talk about such an injustice. In fact, despite the daily hardships facing mothers, many are afraid to open up about their struggles.
That’s why we can’t get enough of today’s Woman to Watch, the irreverent and in-your-face sage Andrea Levoff. She is the founder of Dope Ass Mom, a special mom-centric brand that offers everything from coaching and speaking services to a comprehensive web series and a poignant blog—all with a little humor and a whole lot of sass. With degrees in English and spiritual psychology, to boot, Andrea, a dedicated go-getter, has formulated a career that’s entirely perfect for her.
As she notes on her website, Andrea has always been a firm believer in the healing power of comedy. That’s why, after college, she headed to Chicago to attend the famed Second City Training Center, the largest school of improvisation and sketch comedy in the world, and the company that spawned such other mega-funny mamas as Tina Fey.
When Andrea had her first child, it was a beautiful yet frazzled period in her life. Self-care went beyond the back burner; it wasn’t even on the dang stove. She conversed with a mentor and realized how vital it was to take care of herself. Her newfound inner Zen and longstanding comedic nature led to the creation of her crazy popular web series, Dope Ass Mom Tips.
You don’t have to be a mama to see the hysterical genius in Andrea’s videos. She offers expert tips on common motherhood woes, like potty training and how to be calm when your kids are jerks. Sandwiched between very sane advice are rib-tickling scenes of Andrea and her children in full-blown crazy mode. It’s truly relatable stuff.
What’s particularly dope about Andrea is her coaching expertise. If you think about it, motherhood is the ultimate life tutorial, except there seems to be no teacher—not even a substitute!—and we’re all forced to tackle mommy struggles on our own. Andrea offers some levity for such moments, providing reasonable and helpful suggestions that far exceed the offerings of usual mommy blogs. This Dope Ass Mom is a trusted parenting source who will give it to you straight, and certainly won’t frown at that second glass of red wine you’re guzzling while desperately trying to get the kids to bed!
QUITE THE QUOTE
Today’s quote from poet Robert Browning is for all the moms out there. He said:
“Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.