I went to the cinema the other week with some girlfriends to see “Bad Moms”.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anything more than some light hearted entertainment and a few cringing nods of sympathy from all of us mothers in the audience.
But, to my surprise, it was not only funnier than I imagined, but also full of personal development tips.
In case you haven’t seen it yet, the film follows the life of Amy (played by Mila Kunis), a mother of two who is always rushing around trying so hard to be a “good” mum, but who always finds herself falling short or running late.
She does all the grocery shopping, makes the breakfasts and lunches, drives the kids to school and football practice, builds paper mache busts for their school projects and helps out on the PTA… all before going to work herself.
Until, she has a day where everything goes wrong and she snaps… and “Bad Mom” is born.
She then goes on a hilarious wild rampage with a couple of other mothers, who are also fed up with trying to be perfect.
Anyhow, here are 7 things I took from “Bad Moms”:
- Make time for yourself – One of the Bad Moms fantasises about being in a car crash, just so she could lie in bed for two weeks and do nothing but watch TV and eat jelly. But it’s far easier to just give yourself permission for some you-time.
- Make time for your relationship – During a couples counselling session, Amy admits that they have not had sex in a long time. It’s easy for children to become the sole focus in life, but relationships need nurturing too.
- Don’t judge your life against someone else’s highlight reel – The PTA president seems to be the model of perfection, but in reality, her life is falling apart. It’s the same with all those Facebook friends who always seem to be having an amazing time too.
- Perfection is an illusion – “I’m so tired of trying to be this perfect mom,” Amy tells the women at the PTA. Chasing perfection is not only exhausting and stressful, it’s just not possible.
- Mother, don’t smother – When Amy becomes a single parent, she tells her children they have to start making their own breakfast and doing their own homework. And they rise to the challenge. Being a good mum isn’t doing everything for your kids, it’s teaching them to make their own way in the world.
- You are the company you keep – Amy goes from being part of a “Stepford Wives” community of perfect mothers to being part of a rebellious, debauched trio of “Bad Moms” with good hearts. Both groups have their own strengths and weaknesses, advantages and flaws.
- Change happens when you least expect it – When the three Bad Moms come together, their world is turned upside down. New experiences, friends and opportunities are always just around the corner, if you are open to them.
There’s probably a whole lot more to learn from the film too…
So why not make a movie night of it with your girlfriends and see what else you can find?
Call it a personal development field trip if you need to.
And if you want to make a dramatic life change without trashing a supermarket, book a session with me online.
Heidi Woodgate