Perspective: What wine mom culture misses about being a sober parent in a society that worships alcohol
By Nicole Slaughter Graham April 12 My husband and I sat in the corner of a dimly lit restaurant on a Saturday night. Waitstaff flitted from one table to the next. I zeroed in on a table to my right. A young couple was smiling and taking photos of each other with their cellphones. Their server dropped off two iced glasses of water, a small carafe of wine for the young man and, for the young woman, a mojito.
We have a 12-year-old in the throes of puberty and a 2-year-old in the midst of the toddler stage. Lately, I feel like I have been losing at parenting. After 10 years, I had forgotten the trials of toddlerhood: the tantrums. The stubbornness. But thankfully, I have at least dealt with this stage before. It might take a while to get through it, and I feel rusty, but there are times when everything clicks — at least when it comes to my toddler.
My fellow moms get me through times like these. They understand that feeling of powerlessness that comes from trying to get a 2-year-old dressed in the morning when that child wants no part in it. And it was another mom who helped me figure out how to deal with the transition from elementary school to middle school for my older son. Having other moms around helps me feel less alone in my parenting journey.
But as I continue to trudge through this season of parenting, something surfaces again and again: I need other moms. I need a community of women who understand my daily struggles. I have been sober long enough to feel pretty comfortable in situations where other moms are drinking, and if I am not comfortable, I am willing to leave.
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