The Low-Maintenance Mom

The Low Maintenance Mom, Miss “why would you buy that? You don’t need that. Save your money. Just do it yourself." A.k.a. the "complain if you do anything unnecessary for living" mom. Yes, the low-maintenance mom exists. From our moms, we learned the basics of girlhood, and we mimic how to display our femininity and womanhood. And a part of this femininity, this beautiful experience of being a woman, is (in my eyes) primping and pampering. You know, doing your makeup, going shopping, getting your nails and hair done, facemasks, and girl talks, accompanied by an overall leveling up of appearance. This, to me, is a major part of being a girl.

Now, I’ll talk more about girlhood another day, but today I just wanted to express the impact of having a low-maintenance mom on my femininity. The low-maintenance mom does not understand the pain of beauty or the shame of imperfection. While other girls watch their moms put on makeup and jewelry before leaving the house. I watched mine throw on some lotion, spray some perfume, and head out the door. While other girls started getting acrylics in high school, I couldn’t even get a manicure without a lecture about wasting money.

The low-maintenance mom puts a damper on girlhood and robs young girls of the opportunity to be openly expressive with their femininity—at least in my experience. Unless you take charge of your life and what you want to do or look like, you’ll find yourself natural and nail-less at the club on a Friday night.

Now, don’t get me wrong—being naturally beautiful is amazing, but is a lecture necessary every time I put on makeup? Is pampering yourself every now and again worthy of the confused mom face? And let me tell you, the most annoying thing about having a low-maintenance mom is her admiration for beauty and prettiness when it comes to other girls who do their nails, hair, makeup, lashes, etc., but the disappointment when she finds out I’ve done my own.

I love my mom to pieces, and I understand that her opinions and lifestyle are still partially tied to finances and religious orientaction, but I am meant to be high-maintenance. I am in charge of my own femininity, and how I physically express that is in my own hands. So, I’ll be right back—I have a nail appointment in 30 minutes.