Being a Mum is hard. Putting everyone else's needs above our own and juggling endless to-do lists is not easy. Yet the mummy-wine culture has taught us that in finding solace in our well-earned reward, we are all in this together. In reality, we feel isolated, alone, and exhausted, but it says, “this wee drink is normal, this is how WE cope.” As women, we long to feel part of a tribe; we want to be good enough, just like all the other Mums. Constantly seeking reassurance so we aren't on our own, we just go along with it. Clever marketing strategies play on our vulnerabilities - embrace this lifestyle, and you’ll be like all the other mums. Telling us anxiety and feeling wrung out just come with the territory, and the counter-solution comes in their attractively packaged bottle to be enjoyed with your feet up as the stress and chaos just ebbs away. Except the truth is, you rarely stop at one, and they know that, so you desperately try to recreate that “hit” with more than the one drink you promised yourself. You go to bed feeling frustrated and guilty; you sleep only a couple of hours and get up the next morning exhausted. But now the alcohol has knocked you even more, you feel edgy and shameful. Other mums don’t feel this way! Why is it you can't even drink like them? The mummy-wine culture even goes as far as to say our kids are the reason we drink! They are the stress that means we need that solution. What message does that send? Not only are they the reason for our stress, but that alcohol is the only way to deal with it! We are teaching them to bury their thoughts, mask their feelings, and fix it with poison, and this is becoming completely natural!
