“The word feminist is frightening to most mothers here”

Guest post: Tracee Sioux from So Sioux Me on her feminist motherhood, in response to this post by blue milk. Tracee is partnered and the mother of a little girl and a little boy.

I became a feminist when my parents told me they were voting against ERA – I was a kid and couldn’t believe they would vote against ME.

The pain of motherhood has surprised me.

My feminism was more sexual pre-mother. Motherhood has changed my feminism into motivation for better conditions for my daughter.

My mothering is feminist in the sense that I’m working toward change for my children as opposed to just myself. Motherhood has added the dimension I didn’t have as a single woman – Valuing Motherhood has become a feminist issue for me. Employment policy conducive to mothering has become a feminist issue.

Mothering a girl has become a feminist focus for me.

I feel having to choose home or work compromises my feminism temporarily. I feel I would put up with less shit in my marriage if I wasn’t a mother.

There is no failure – only progress.

I live in a very Christian Conservative culture and the word feminist is frightening to most mothers here. (But, they are lurkers and soaking up new ideas they are liking).

I struggle not to sacrifice myself. It’s the mistake of motherhood to sacrifice self. It costs us too much for little gain.

My husband pushes against me sometimes, but is invested in our daughter so . . .

I don’t do attachment parenting, because of feminism I place a high value on independence.

I feel an over-correction or bi-product of feminism is to devalue motherhood. I feel it’s totally correctable. I also feel that it’s given all mothers more of an identity and self than they ever had before.