The Alpha Mom

The term Alpha Mom has been around for a while now. It refers to those Moms who are type A personalities in their role as Mother. They can respond to an on line blog, while icing perfectly baked cupcakes from scratch, while helping their school aged child with homework, while skyping with a former colleague, while nursing a baby...in addition the last load of laundry is in the dryer which will be put away in about 15 minutes after it is folded and right before it is folded dinner will be put in the oven and the baby given a bath. Okay, you get my point.  They are the Moms who somehow appear to be able to do it all...flawlessly. 

I am not sure what culturally happened over the last 10 years that the Alpha Moms began their rise to power.  I have my belief that it is related to the fact that women are more educated than in previous generations and are thus more self sufficient, financially stable, and more successful in the business world.  This all seems to happen prior to their having children and once they become mothers they transfer this high achieving drive onto motherhood and mothering.  That is just my guess but whatever the reason, it describes a mother and mothering style that is a cultural phenomenon.  There is marketing driven towards this kind of mother and it has now spawned a new type of wife...yes you guessed it the alpha wife.  There is also the Beta Mom, a group that describes themselves, yes you guessed it as the moms who cannot do it all perfectly.

In my pratice and my personal life the term Alpha Mom has come up a lot lately whether it be the facebook post about the Alpha Mom at the kiddie pool or the client feeling inferior because she forgot to pack her child's snack and forgot the sprinkles on the cupcakes.  It made me begin to wonder, what is it about the Alpha Mom that causes such emotions in other Moms?  Whether it be the desire to want to be an Alpha Mom or feel inferior because you are a Beta Mom? 

There is one thing I know to be true and that is no one is perfect. When you are in a profession where people come to you for help, advice, guidance, to make changes, one thing you quickly learn is that things from the outside aren't always as they appear.

So this week I am asking for your thoughts on Alpha Moms, Beta Moms, Moms.  Is there a competition that exists between them?  Is there an expectation either met or unmet by the Alpha Moms, Beta, and women who just go by Mom?

I look forward to your responses.