Cheez-Its and Netflix: Confessions of a Young Mom

I was in the grocery store with my daughter and my 17-year-old sister, Kate. A woman walked up to Kate and asked, “How old is your daughter?” I was tongue-tied. After all, Kate is seven years my junior.

This summer at the pool, a lifeguard asked me if I was on swim team. Mind you, this pool doesn’t host a 20-somethings league. He meant the K-12 team.

I’m 24, in the prime of my life! I’m no less attractive than the next person. I’m even better now about going to the gym than I was in college. I look like I could be anywhere from 17 to 25, but typically people’s guesses fall at the lower end of that range. I don’t drive a van. I don’t wear a baseball cap (usually).

So what gives?

How is it that I look both too old to be hit on and too young to be a mom? Perhaps I’ve lost that doe-eyed look. My eyes are maybe a little more hardened. There’s less flirting. It’s not that I’m seeking attention from men – I’m quite happily married to my husband, Joe.

So, does it feel weird that I’m already done dating? Yes. Do I feel embarrassed that I never want to go to a bar or club; that 9:30 p.m. is bedtime, even on the weekends? Sure.

But, then again, it’s awfully nice to be more concerned with what my daughter is wearing than what I’m wearing (time for a client plug: my daughter loves her Moxie Jean clothes!) It’s nice to have an excuse to keep Cheez-Its in the house (that’s not a plug). I get to go to fall festivals, the zoo, the aquarium. I’m not spending my Friday nights making small talk with strange men at the bar. Instead, I’m watching Netflix with Joe—a much more worthy way to spend my time. I have a little buddy who tells me how pretty I look when I get dressed up (i.e. wear anything other than yoga or sweatpants). I can have ‘girl’s nights’ whenever I want to, consisting of Chinese takeout and nail painting. Yes, every night is a sleepover in the Robinson Household!

All things considered, Cheez-its and Netflix can be the hallmarks of a pretty great 25th year.

So does this post decry people who choose to be moms or wives when they’re older? Absolutely not. Being a 24-year-old young mom and wife is an enormous task, and it’s not for everyone. But it’s where I find myself, and in spite of all the flirting and lame pick-up lines I’m missing out on; in spite of the fact that I can’t get away with wearing white because spilled milk and Crayon wax will spontaneously begin to gravitate toward me – in spite of all that, I’m still beaming with happiness.

Being a young wife and mom also gives me a unique perspective for my role at MtoM Consulting. It means that I have firsthand insight into the psyche of millennial moms. I follow the top bloggers, seasonal trends, baby names, the latest on the Bob-2016-Revolution-Flex stroller, and the latest music. I know how to find cute children’s clothing on a budget online and I’m all over the Twitters, Pinterests, and Instagrams—I’m more ‘plugged in’ than many moms older than me and I’m getting more plugged in every day.

I’m an early adopter when it comes to technology that can make my life easier. And as a business marketing major, I can identify exactly when I’m being marketed to, and when I think the marketing is working (I’m a sucker for click-ads.)

I love sharing my newest finds, and since I’m so young and many of my friends aren’t even in a serious relationship, let alone married or having kids, the online community of millennial moms is my support base. It’s a place where I can share, maybe vent a little, get advice, and best of all, be inspired.