5 Things Golden Globes Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Taught Me About Motherhood
I was excited to watch Sunday's big Golden Globes Awards ceremony -- not just because I wanted to see whether Downton Abbey wins out over Homeland, but because Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were co-hosting.
Brilliantly funny -- we're talking laugh-till-you-snort funny -- these ladies are also busy mothers of young children. (Tina's daughters are 7 and 1; Amy's sons are 4 and 2.) And even though they'd never say so themselves (at least, not without tongue firmly in cheek), Tina and Amy have a lot to teach us about motherhood.
1. It's okay to have a successful career.
Enough with the working-mom-guilt! These women have shelves full of awards and rank among the most powerful women in entertainment. Best of all, they're helping to bust the men's-club mentality that still pervades the industry: Tina headed the SNL writing team; both are producing their own hit sitcoms; and now they're the first women to host the Globes. That doesn't mean they love their children any less. And their kids will grow up knowing that it's possible to achieve your career dreams and still be there for bedtime stories.
2. It's also okay to have help.
We've become wedded to the idea that A Great Mom Does It All Herself. Woe unto she who dares to send her laundry out or buy birthday cupcakes from the supermarket instead of crafting homemade red velvet confections. Hiring anything other than the occasional sitter for a date night is strictly frowned upon. The same goes for celebrities. We all know they have nannies -- and they know we know -- but they almost never acknowledge the fact. Not Amy Poehler. When she was honored as one of the Time 100 last year, she made a speech in which she called her sons' nannies two of the most influential women in her life. She went on to thank caretakers everywhere "who love your child as much as you do, and who inspire and influence them. So on behalf of every sister and mother and person who stands in your kitchen and helps you love your child, I say thank you." (No, thank you, Amy, for recognizing that grandmas, friends and nannies can be part of a nurturing childrearing village.)
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3. Don't take yourself too seriously.
These women appear in front of millions of people and do fearless things like playing Sarah Palin or performing rap while nine months pregnant. Tina Fey's Liz Lemon got wackadoodle on a sleeping pill and made bizarre confessions to Oprah, for pete's sake. A mom who can laugh at herself is a mom who can take the little annoyances of parenthood with a grain of salt. And kids who see that their mom is okay with her imperfections grow up knowing they don't have to be perfect, either.
4. Having a BMFF (Best Mom-Friend Friend) is essential.
Only a fellow mother understands what it's like to change a baby's soiled clothes three times in an hour. She can share her own war stories and assure you that you are not the worst mom ever, despite your child's insistence to the contrary. In a world still fighting the Mommy Wars, the BMFF is the fellow recruit who would take a bullet for you. Granted, Tina and Amy were good friends long before they became parents (they got their start in the Chicago improv scene), but having children has only brought them closer. When she was expecting her first son, Archie, Amy said in an interview, "I don't care if it's a girl or a boy, I want it to marry Alice Richmond, Tina's daughter. We'd make a lovely mother and mother-in-law of the bride." Now that's a wedding we'd crash.
5. Motherhood is never easy -- even when you're a celeb.
We may sigh and snark over the "cushy" lives of the rich and famous, but behind the designer clothes and zillion-dollar homes are human beings with the same struggles and fears as us regular folk. Being a TV star didn't guarantee Amy a happy marriage; she split from husband Will Arnett last year. And Tina confessed her fears for her children in a funny but poignant essay in her book "Bossypants." Just like the rest of us, they muddle through the best they can - and their sense of humor helps them get through.
- By Shana Aborn
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