--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're like us -mothers with an…" description: "\"If you're like us -mothers with an attitude problem- you may be getting increasingly irritable about this chasm between the ridiculous, honey-hued idea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/susan-j-douglas-23212_attitude_if-you-re-like-us-mothers-with-an-attitu_1175708.jpg" --- # If you're like us -mothers with an attitude problem- you… ![“If you're like us -mothers with an attitude problem- you may be getting increasingly irritable about this chasm between the ridiculous, honey-hued ideals of perfect motherhood in the mass media and the reality of mothers' everyday lives.” quote by Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/susan-j-douglas-23212_attitude_if-you-re-like-us-mothers-with-an-attitu_1175708.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/susan-j-douglas-23212_attitude_if-you-re-like-us-mothers-with-an-attitu_1175708.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/susan-j-douglas-23212_attitude_if-you-re-like-us-mothers-with-an-attitu_1175708.jpg) > “If you're like us -mothers with an attitude problem- you may be getting increasingly irritable about this chasm between the ridiculous, honey-hued ideals of perfect motherhood in the mass media and the reality of mothers' everyday lives.” [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mothers feel increasing irritation due to the clash between idealized media motherhood and real daily life. **In simple terms:** Media ideals clash with real motherhood. Key Takeaway Seek realistic expectations. Themes parenthood media expectations Mood empathetic critical Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - parenting advice - media critique - support groups Key Concepts sociology gender studies Questions to Reflect On - How can mothers cope with unrealistic standards? - What role should media play? A Different Perspective Changing media may be slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Attitude problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude-problem/) [Chasms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasms/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Everyday life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-life/) [Honey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honey/) [Increasingly Irritable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increasingly-irritable-2651364/) [Like Mothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-mothers-625238/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Mass media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-media/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Motherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motherhood/) [Mothers Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers-attitude-3427435/) [Mothers Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers-everyday-3427437/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Mothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-mothers-3427436/) [Ridiculous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous/) ## Related quotes > [“He was increasingly irritable and suspicious, and a cantankerous mood could fly over him as quickly as the shadow of a bird. But Jesse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hansen/he-was-increasingly-irritable-and-suspicious-and-a-cantankerous-mood/) [Ron Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-hansen/) > [“Maybe that's what we're all like with our mothers. They seem ordinary until one day they're extraordinary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/maybe-that-s-what-we-re-all-like-with-our-mothers-they-seem-ordinary/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [Maybe we're all like that with our mothers. They seem ordinary until one day they're extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/maybe-we-re-all-like-that-with-our-mothers-they-seem-ordinary-until/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“How had it begun? Like everything: with mothers and fathers. Because of Lydia's mother and father, because of her mother's and father's mothers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/how-had-it-begun-like-everything-with-mothers-and-fathers-because-of/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [I couldn't imagine owning beauty like my mothers. I wouldn't dare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/i-couldn-t-imagine-owning-beauty-like-my-mothers-i-wouldn-t-dare/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [The time was fast approaching when Earth, like all mothers, must say farewell to her children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/the-time-was-fast-approaching-when-earth-like-all-mothers-must-say/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“One of the main functions of a push-up bra is to lower the number of mothers who seem like mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/one-of-the-main-functions-of-a-push-up-bra-is-to-lower-the-number-of/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [In the good old days, girls used to cook like their mothers, NOW THEY DRINK LIKE THEIR FATHERS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/in-the-good-old-days-girls-used-to-cook-like-their-mothers-now-they/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“And that was fine, except that she didn't have any old friends anymore. Kids back home who'd been friendly were now...respectful, because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/and-that-was-fine-except-that-she-didn-t-have-any-old-friends-anymore/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Our culture sends some amazingly contradictory messages about what an ideal mother is like. Mothers try to live up to these ideals without recognizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kendall-tackett-ph-d/our-culture-sends-some-amazingly-contradictory-messages-about-what-an/) [Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kendall-tackett-ph-d/) > [All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/all-women-become-like-their-mothers-that-is-their-tragedy-no-man-does/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I'd like to see mothers at home be more assertive, be unapologetic, give themselves permission, and to stand up for themselves as an equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-frost/i-d-like-to-see-mothers-at-home-be-more-assertive-be-unapologetic/) [Jo Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-frost/) > [“Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers and boys used to dress like their fathers. Now girls drink like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/gone-are-the-days-when-girls-used-to-cook-like-their-mothers-and-boys/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) > [“Hannah would have to get an implant in her hip like their mothers had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/hannah-would-have-to-get-an-implant-in-her-hip-like-their-mothers-had/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Way back girls used to cook like their mothers,but now hey drink like their fathers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-chimfwembe/way-back-girls-used-to-cook-like-their-mothers-but-now-hey-drink-like/) [Chanda Chimfwembe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-chimfwembe/) ## More by Susan J. Douglas > [“At the very same time that we witnessed the explosion of white celebrity moms, and the outpouring of advice to a surveillance of middle-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/at-the-very-same-time-that-we-witnessed-the-explosion-of-white/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“After all, the media have been and are the major dispenser of the ideals and norms surrounding motherhood: Millions of us have gone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/after-all-the-media-have-been-and-are-the-major-dispenser-of-the/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“Because the media always serve up heroes and villians, there had to be the terrible mothers, the anti-Madonnas, the hideous counterexamples good mothers were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/because-the-media-always-serve-up-heroes-and-villians-there-had-to-be/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [..."Fun?" you ask. "Weren't feminists these grim-faced, humorless, antifamily, karate-chopping ninjas who were bitter because they couldn't get a man?" Well, in fact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/fun-you-ask-weren-t-feminists-these-grim-faced-humorless-antifamily/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“The frenzied hypernatalism of the women's magazines alone (and that includes People, Us, and InStyle), with their endless parade of perfect, "sexy" celebrity moms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/the-frenzied-hypernatalism-of-the-women-s-magazines-alone-and-that/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [Here's the progression. Feminism won; you can have it all; of course you want children; mothers are better at raising children than fathers; of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/here-s-the-progression-feminism-won-you-can-have-it-all-of-course-you/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“It's 5:22pm you're in the grocery checkout line. Your three-year-old is writhing on the floor, screaming, because you have refused to buy her a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/it-s-5-22pm-you-re-in-the-grocery-checkout-line-your-three-year-old/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [We need to make fun of and ridicule the media images that seek to keep us down, divide us against each other by age,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/we-need-to-make-fun-of-and-ridicule-the-media-images-that-seek-to/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“To review briefly, in the late 1960s, men got paid more than women (usually double) for doing the exact same job. Women could get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/to-review-briefly-in-the-late-1960s-men-got-paid-more-than-women/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“...There were the studies, beginning in 2007, which found that the suicide rate among women who had received breast implants were twice the suicide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/there-were-the-studies-beginning-in-2007-which-found-that-the-suicide/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“Most people don’t get (or want) to look at old news footage, but we looked at thirty years of stories relating to motherhood. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/most-people-don-t-get-or-want-to-look-at-old-news-footage-but-we/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“At the same time that middle- and upper-middle-class mothers were urged to pipe Mozart into their wombs when they're pregnant so their kids would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/at-the-same-time-that-middle-and-upper-middle-class-mothers-were/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [...One of the reasons so many women say "I'm not a feminist but..." (and then put forward a feminist position), is that in addition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/one-of-the-reasons-so-many-women-say-i-m-not-a-feminist-but-and-then/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“Intensive mothering is the ultimate female Olympics: We are all in powerful competition with each other, in constant danger of being trumped by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/intensive-mothering-is-the-ultimate-female-olympics-we-are-all-in/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [“To emphasize how truly backward our society is...let's finish with a little quiz. Let's do it like Jeopardy. In 1990, this government required companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/to-emphasize-how-truly-backward-our-society-is-let-s-finish-with-a/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) [Explore all 26 Susan J. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) [Sheye Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheye-hassan/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're like us -mothers with an attitude problem- you may be getting increasingly irritable about this chasm between the ridiculous, honey-hued ideals of perfect motherhood in the mass media and the reality of mothers' everyday lives.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan J. 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