Hitting the Booze: The Mommy Drinking Culture

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“This exacerbated it so that it no longer holds it all together. And things became incrementally worse, women who are in marginalized groups.” Michelle Jones, who lived at the residence with her daughter, told police that she arrived home on Saturday evening and found Turner acting belligerently, and also discovered the exterior of the home was on fire. “Wine mom” products are meant as a joke, but they mask a real, ongoing problem for mothers. From there, Sober Mom Squad was born–and its community quickly grew amid COVID-19 with roughly 3,000 women signing up for free virtual meetups each Wednesday. I was hearing from women who never drank this much before and they’re getting scared.

drinking mom

A glass of wine after a hard day of work or parenting or both isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And getting sober, like some of the moms in this article have done, isn’t the answer for everyone. But when that glass of wine becomes your only coping mechanism for life’s inevitable stressors, it may be time to take a deep breath and ask for help.

What Is Alcohol Addiction?

Yvonne doesn’t take issue with moms having a glass of wine now and then. “But suggesting or joking that wine is the solution to our lack of postpartum care and support, the mental load of motherhood and the severe burnout and anxiety gaslights women and our collective grievances.” Before I got sober, I loved all those “mommy needs wine” memes that friends and acquaintances posted online. After all, those memes gave all of us stressed-out, overworked women permission to pop the cork, right? Unfortunately, my nightly wind-down glass of wine turned to two, and then to four, until I was drinking not one bottle a night, but two — or more. Additionally, the support systems that parents could count on in past generations for help have essentially disintegrated.

drinking mom

Samantha Miller, 34, died Friday in Folly Beach, South Carolina, while still wearing her wedding dress. The groom, Aric Hutchinson, is recovering from a brain injury and numerous broken bones after the golf cart was thrown 100 yards . Two other occupants also reportedly suffered injuries of varying severity. Hangxiety” and even getting more scientific, noting the cyclical effect drinking can have on dopamine levels in their brains. Overall wellness — and for younger generations, mental wellness in particular — is a major driver for most of those interested in participating in the viral TikTok trend. My youngest daughter also spent some healing time at a special care facility for those with ED.

And it’s these existing issues that have led so many of us to throw back a martini or three at the end of the day. The good news is that change may be coming-the media, motherhood community leaders, women’s advocates, and even our administration have been vocal about the disproportionate disadvantage mothers have faced during the pandemic. But if I’m being truly honest here, my own relationship with drinking mash certified sober homes began long before my son’s elementary school shuttered its doors and I lost my child care-and the same might be said for other moms with a less than healthy relationship with alcohol. But when I became a mother at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and my stress levels were at their peak, I admit I was tempted to have some “mommy juice” or indulge in a “quarantini” as I saw so many others doing.

Mom shoots ‘belligerently’ drunk man trying to set house on fire with elderly uncle, child inside: sheriff

But I know now that I didn’t want to drink because I loved wine; I wanted to drink because I was overwhelmed. Instead, I decided to take this time to remember some of the self-care practices I had learned in early recovery. Emily Paulson of Seattle, Washington, is the founder of Sober Mom Squad, a supportive community for women exploring their relationships with alcohol.

  • You might feel ashamed to share all the details of your parent’s drinking, but it’s important that you have social support.
  • A 2020 study conducted by RAND Corporation found that women significantly increased heavy drinking days by 41 percent, compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
  • “When it’s that witching hour and you’re pouring a glass of wine, you assume that everyone else is doing it,” Lightner, who is a mom of two and a special education advocate, tells Yahoo Life.
  • Remind yourself that your parent’s drinking is not your fault or responsibility.
  • She allegedly asked the teens to keep quiet about the disturbing parties and even lie to their parents about them, prosecutors said.

Secondly, the day after the coronation is Mother’s Day, and the Pimm’s Cup is a total Mom-pleaser of a cocktail. And I’m not just saying that because it was my late mother’s favorite cocktail; although it is gorgeous, sweet, bubbly, and a little over the top in the best way, just like she was. It’s also a favorite of my boyfriend’s mom, and thus, I’ve concluded it’s a favorite of all moms everywhere. Okay, so maybe not all moms, but it can guarantee it’s a fun alternative to the wine spritzers and mimosas that usually get served on Mother’s Day. Memorial Day is just around the corner, ushering in the official start of Summer 2023.

Becky remembers at least three suicide attempts while she was growing up, and thinks her mum had likely tried a good few times before she was born. The morning after a session, still smelling of alcohol, Pat would act as though nothing had happened. If Pat realised there wasn’t any alcohol in the house she’d ask Becky to come for a walk to the shop with her. “I think my grandma was ashamed – not of my mum – just of the stigma of it. No-one knew what to do with my mum and there just wasn’t the support there like there is now,” Becky says. Becky didn’t even confide in her closest friends about what was going on at home, and would only invite mates over for sleepovers on weekends when her mum was away. There was a smell that lingered around her mother that Becky still remembers, the smell that seems to seep out of the pores of someone who’s had a skinful the night before.

Staying busy can help you better cope with your parent’s drinking. The more productive things on your schedule, the less time you’ll have to sit around worrying. An alcoholic parent may violate your personal limitations in many ways, such as constantly asking you for https://rehabliving.net/ money, needing rides from you, or forcing you to lie for them. Know that you have a right to say “no” to this kind of behavior and enforce healthy boundaries.By keeping firm boundaries, you’re letting your parent see the consequences of their drinking behaviors.

If you have a hard time journaling, write as if you’re explaining your day to a good friend. Exercise is really great at helping you fight stress and support your emotional well-being. The endorphins, or chemicals, released when you exercise may even lift your mood if you’re feeling down.Try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.

Turns out, I am not the only woman who saw her drinking progressively increase. Since the early 2000s, research has shown that alcohol use disorder is on the rise in women. A 2018 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , part of the National Institutes of Health, found an increase in alcohol-related ER visits with women accounting for more of the increase in visits than men.

Parenting Tips & Advice

Paulson said she noticed a trend, so she gathered other women who work in recovery. Paulson became a recovery counselor and started working with women one-on-one. “I finally know who I am and I am the best version of myself that I could’ve imagined and I have no desire to go back there.” Alcohol can also negatively affect sleep quality, which makes it more difficult to deal with stress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our podcast is aimed at empowering and educating parents by having honest and bold conversations in our bi-weekly show.

You can also try to develop some fun hobbies, like playing an instrument or writing poetry. During those early months of the pandemic, it felt like every TikTok video and social media post was a celebrity or influencer posting about their pandemic drinking habits. Essentially, Dr. Rodriguez explains, when we see other people doing things, and we perceive those behaviors as normal, it becomes a strong driver of what we do, too.

Roughly 1 in 3 Gen Z and millennial drinkers have heard of “damp drinking” and, when prompted, over half are interested in trying it. In the tragedy’s immediate wake, Lisa Miller said she wanted to leave and never return to the beach town that was supposed to be the launchpad of her daughter’s next chapter. But she since has been heartened by the surrounding community’s outpouring of support. The Wine Drinking mom brings a hilarious spin to motherhood a place she often refers to as the ghetto as she shares stories of navigating single motherhood , poor choices in men , and constant overindulgence when it comes to wine. “Unfortunately, women tend to experience more cumulative stress in their daily lives, which can motivate alcohol or other substance use and place them on a slippery slope,” George F. Koob, director of the NIAAA, tells Yahoo Life. “We tend to think of substance use as something people do for pleasure, and that is certainly true. But many people are drawn to substances like alcohol because they reduce emotional and physical discomfort.”

drinking mom

“When we lived at my grandma’s, me and my mum shared a bedroom, so I’d have to get into bed with her and wait till she fell asleep – then I’d sneak out and ring my sister on the phone in the hallway,” she says. “You could tell straight away – she just changed, it was as though as soon as she started drinking she kind of checked out.” From a very early age Becky knew that her mum was a drinker, even though Pat never drank in front of her and never talked about it.

She didn’t have any shoes on and was only wearing her night dress. On a good day – when she’d managed not to have a drink – Pat would draw a tick in her diary. “She would give me a hug if she knew she’d done something wrong, had upset me, or something dramatic had happened the night before,” Becky says. “That was her way of acknowledging what she’d done without addressing it. It was bizarre, to be honest, it was like she was a different person.” When Pat was drunk she’d cry, tell Becky that she just wanted to be loved, and go over all the bad things that had happened to her. Becky would sit and listen, and reassure her mum that she loved her.

Remind yourself that your parent’s drinking is not your fault or responsibility. The best you can do for your parent is talk to them about getting help, but remember that it has to be their choice. In the meantime, do your best to care for your emotional health, like taking time to de-stress from the situation. Try meditation, yoga, warm baths, or watching your favorite TV shows.

All of these products seem to be screaming that wine is the way to cope with motherhood. And although similar products exist for dads, a simple search on Etsy shows over 67,000 “wine mom” products while less than 25,000 exist for dads. So while wine mom culture isn’t exclusive to female caregivers, it seems to be targeted towards moms, specifically as a means of coping with child-rearing, house cleaning and upkeep and their own work. There are no reasonably available alternative drinking water sources for Cape Cod residents should the aquifer become contaminated.

Alcohol and Breastfeeding: Is It Safe?

There, I learned that stress and anxiety were major factors that can lead to alcohol use disorder. I spent the better part of the past five years in recovery learning healthier coping mechanisms than the glasses of wine I loved so much. A wine mom, alone, is someone who likes a drink to take the edge off of parenting, and who’s willing to poke fun at that fact. But en masse, wine moms have come to represent troublesome trends in modern parenting, or even comfortable middle-class complacency. So should you label any mom who likes to drink wine a “wine mom”? The wine mom is either a beleaguered but sympathetic figure, or a subtly sinister one—it depends on whom you ask.

Men generally drink more than women, so they have more opportunities to evaluate, and potentially pull back on, their consumption. Nothing about heartache and fear can undermine love and patience and steadfast support. State Rep. Spencer Wetmore, the city administrator at the time, vowed Tuesday to continue eco sober house complaints fighting for safer roads after a “horrible tragedy” that she told AP “has completely broken my heart.” She and her daughter, Mandi Jenkins, are now urging drivers to reconsider how a split-second decision to take the wheel while drunk may have lasting consequences for a “real family” like theirs.

“As a daughter of an alcoholic, I cannot think of a more damaging message to our kids.” It’s something writer and mom of two Celeste Yvonne can relate to as well. “Suffice to say, I was drinking well over the CDC recommended amount of one drink or less a day for women,” Yvonne, who is the author of The Ultimate Mom Challenge, tells Yahoo Life. “I thought I was safe because I didn’t drink every day, and my drinking was not imposing on my life, family or job. But my drinking was increasing over time, as my tolerance level grew and that alarmed me.” Lightner, on the other hand, considered herself a “supermom” and felt like her daily wine habit wasn’t interfering with her parenting.

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