A short list was announced yesterday for Mum of the Year.
Never before in the history of jaw droppingly ridiculous lists has my jaw dropped so low. I cannot actually repeat what I said when I saw the list as my in laws and parents (as well as my children) read this blog and it is somewhat rude.
Now I am in no position to judge any other woman’s parenting style. I cannot say “oh she is a good mother” or indeed “she is a bad mother” I am far from the the world’s best. I am not even close to Mummy Average for gawd’s sake.
And those in glasshouses etc…. However I feel I have to put my oar in on this one.
There are a few women on this list that I look at and think “meh” at best:
Stacey Solomon
Nicola McLean
Holly Willoughby
Katie Price
Denise Welch
Danielle Lloyd
I am indifferent to all of them to be honest.
However, also on the list is Natasha Giggs.
Do you want to stop and reread that statement?
Natasha sodding Giggs (sorry inlaws, parents and kids)
What has she done to achieve this accolade? Spent three weeks AWAY from her children in the Big Brother house. Three weeks when she wasnt there for them. Wasn’t cooking their tea, wasn’t reading them bedtime stories, wasn’t doing the school run. Not really the making of a great mum.
And shall we talk about the eight years she was sleeping with Uncle Ryan? Deceiving daddy? Deceiving grandma and grandad? Lying to the children when they said “mummy what did you do today?”.
“Oh I made some cakes and slept with your uncle but don’t tell daddy”.
For the love of all things holy.
How on earth can these things qualify anybody for Mother of the Year? We never see her doing things with her kids. We don’t see her tweeting about stuff she has done with them, at least even Nicola McLean tweeted about her son dressing up for World Book Day yesterday.
I am not saying she is a bad mum. Not at all. I am not taking the moral high ground but how can she be Mother of the Year material?
Where is Harry Moseley’s mum in this list? Where? Where is that lady who has lost a son this year. But has carried on being a mum and a wife whilst keeping her son’s charity dream alive? Whilst raising awareness for Harry’s cancer charity.
This sort of list should be banned. Its a travesty. I know it is only being voted for by Foxy Bingo (Hardly the Nobel Institute) but even so. Nobody like Natasha Giggs should be allowed to be crowned Mum of the Year.
Not on my watch.
Great post! To be honest I think most awards are frankly unnecessary. I get so many people on twitter telling em they have award winning recipes, blogs, websites…does it actually really matter? I think we should just live our lives, write our blogs, cook our food and be the best mums we can. why should any one of us receive an award over another? I get the Oscars, best film of the year and all that, but, if it was down to me, I’d stop at that. The list of nominees made this mum of the year award a joke, to be frank, but then, in all honesty, does anyone really care?
What about the polar bear on Richard Attenborough’s show?
well said… the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard for a long time… *shudder*
How about coming up with your own award? I’d like to nominate Doreen Lawrence.
Watch this space. That is all I can say. I have received an interesting email tonight 🙂
That’s just crazy! Like you I don’t feel in any position to say someone is a ‘bad’ mum but you don’t have to strain too hard to come up with some suggestions for mums who might at least give her a run for her money as Mum of the Year. You’ve got to wonder what criteria they could have used to come up with this as a shortlist.
Why is Mum of the Year always a celebrity? It’s always easy to be a great Mum when you have endless help from cooks, cleaners & nanny’s.
I’d love to see all these “amazing” Mums be a Mum without all that help & without all the creature comforts they have.
It is a bit of a joke really isn’t it? I don’t see how anyone who risks their children’s happiness by destroying the stability of their own marriage can be on a shortlist to be a role model for other mothers. For me, the most important thing you can do for your child is to provide stability and security. On this, Natasha Giggs has failed. Great post.
I guess lists like this devalue themselves. There are more worthy people but perhaps they turned down their nominations. 🙂
Couldn’t agree more. I was asked to write a post about Anna Kennedy, couldn’t be happier to help promote her and the other worthy winners. Someone commented and likened her to Ms Katona, ummmm huge difference.
Very well said!