Confession of a Working Mom: I Want to Be One of the Cool Moms

Photo of me and, Eve Wright, Taylor one of the coolest mom I know

"I wish that I could be like the cool moms because all of the cool moms have really cool blogs..." Echosmith "Cool Kids" Parody Cool Moms

Being a cool mom takes the right clothes, the right attitude, and a great relationship with your kids. I get the clothes part. I'm into fashion. Before I had kids I was WAY into it. Now, I don't have nearly as much time to follow it as I used it. I used to leisurely read INSTYLE, Marie Claire, and Vogue on the weekends. Now, my fashion magazines accumulate month after month and now are in a pile, that is nearly as tall as my four year old.

Wearing the right clothes is part of being cool

Because of my fashionable past, I think I'm still cool, but I have no idea whether other moms agree. What I do know is that every mom, at least those at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum seem to subscribe to a fashion code whether intentionally or unintentionally.

At the Museum with my sister, the coolest Auntie, and daughter

The moms seem to be grouped by outfits. Some of the moms routinely wear full make up, designer jeans, leggings, boots (or designer loafers) and/or carry a large designer tote bag, often Louis Vuitton. Some conservative Jewish moms wear wigs, long skirts and sneakers. Some more practical moms wear jeans, sneakers and large sweaters. The great thing is each group seems to strut around the Museum with a sense of belonging and they acknowledge their own. Every time I go, I wind up chatting with a mom who is dressed similar to me. Coincidence?

At the Museum with the entire family, cool?

Being a cool mom takes more than the right outfit

I doubt that the women changed their wardrobes after becoming moms. Their style was determined before and it just continued after they became moms. That's the thing. The women who make me feel like a teenager with bad acne and high water jeans are those who make it look effortless. Since I have known them since before they were moms, I know that they have always seemed to have the secret to life.

They manage to be fashionable, engaged with their kids, and do it effortlessly. Some do all of the things referenced in the song "The Cool Moms" that's linked below. They have blogs, they run, they have lux cars, immaculate homes and they are pretty. Others do things the song doesn't even contemplate. They are on reality TV shows, others are success television anchors, still others manage to practice law, serve on international committees and write books. I have one friend who manages to raise her son in Colorado and manages her career in Los Angeles! I have a colleague who always looks perfect and is generally wearing some new Tory Burch or Kate Spade outfit. A couple of other friends who have left the practice of law to be full time moms and they always look fabulous, seem positively serene and their kids are incredibly well adjusted. These are the coolest women I know. Motherhood has enhanced their coolness as opposed to detracting from it. These moms inspire me, motivate me, and challenge me.

Perhaps we are all cool moms?

So, anybody who looks at me and thinks that I'm a cool mom because I do some of the things referenced in the song, know that I'm thinking the same thing about somebody else. I am definitely thinking that about the mom who manages to get her laundry done all of the time. Let me go on record and say, my laundry is generally clean, but rarely folded. Imagine the piles...

Maybe, though, we are all cool moms like the ladies in the song say? What do you think?

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• Wear Motherhood Well with Native Wilds (slowdownandsavorblog.com)