{"id":124780,"date":"2021-12-21T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T11:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=124780"},"modified":"2023-03-05T19:57:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-05T19:57:59","slug":"wine-mom-oclock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wine-mom-oclock.htm","title":{"rendered":"‘Wine Mom’? When Booze O’Clock Becomes a Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"
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photo by Kira Auf der Heide<\/p><\/div>\n

by Liz Szalai<\/span><\/p>\n

Parenting<\/a> can be hard. We all have been there when our lovely offspring\u2019s bedtime is our most desired part of the day. And that\u2019s okay. And sometimes we wind down with a glass of wine<\/a>, which can be okay, too. And has certainly spawned many funny ‘wine mom’ posts on social media<\/a> (or ‘wine mums’ for those of us in the UK).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what can become less okay is if all our joking about wine o’clock is hiding the fact that we have a growing problem.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Are drinking moms a growing problem?<\/h2>\n

The Covid-19 pandemic<\/a>. has rather nicely illustrated that mothers can be more prone than other groups to turn to alcohol when stressed<\/a> (and perhaps when stuck doing more homeschooling!).<\/p>\n

In America, \u00a0a survey<\/a> found that more women than men reported going beyond the recommended amounts of alcohol during the pandemic. Women with children under the age of five saw their drinking increase by a startling 323 per cent.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mommy drinking culture and social media<\/span><\/h2>\n

Does social media have a serious part to play in the rise of wine moms?<\/strong>While mums can find a positive support system in social media, certain groups are promoting the habit of wine o’clock. A non peer-reviewed if interesting paper on ‘mummy drinking sites’<\/a> suggests:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"wine

August de Richlieu for Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

“While the social elements of the \u2018mummy drinking culture\u2019 may counter the stress, drudgery and worries often associated with parenting,<\/span> this culture can normalise risky drinking and minimise alcohol-related risks, including foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The four ways ‘wine mom’ culture can be dangerous<\/h2>\n

The paper goes on to point out four problematic areas. <\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Mummy wine culture implies that alcohol is essential for solving problems<\/strong>. It is also a dangerous pattern to pass on the children.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. It enables the use of alcohol. Mums might feel that their actions are justified<\/strong> as part of the culture.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. It promotes alcohol as a symbol of freedom<\/strong>, a reminder of the years of independence.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Finally, it has its own market targeting mums with products<\/strong> such as low-calorie drinks, alongside with merchandise such as wine cups and t-shirts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And yes, that marketing should be seen as serious. The Institute for Alcohol Studies<\/a><\/span> lists ‘advertising targeting women’ as one of the main reasons the UK has seen a rise in women drinking too much alcohol.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Should mom bloggers be held more accountable?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Blogs and their connected Instagram accounts are where<\/strong> a lot of mums turn to in the hours of solitude when they are seeking to feel understood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    And not all mom bloggers are pretending to be perfect<\/strong>. “Slummy mummys’ gain followers by exposing their imperfection in ways that other women can understand. But it gives mixed signals about motherhood. That readers can then use to interpret their own motherhood responsibilities, for better or for worse. A paper on Mummy blogs<\/a> points out-\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    \u201cWhile mummy bloggers construct versions of their own motherhood, readers, in turn, reinterpret these constructions in reflections on their own mothering practices<\/span>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    But surely casual drinking doesn’t effect my children<\/h2>\n

    \"wineActually, wine moms, it does.<\/p>\n

    A British survey<\/a> spoke to children aged 10 to 17 who had parents who used alcohol, but not to the point of dependency, sometimes just to the point of being tipsy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    And the children reported negative experiences. They linked their parents alcohol use to being put to bed too early or too late, being given less attention than usual, their parents being more argumentative, and also that they were at the receiving end of their parents unpredictability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Aren’t sure if you are or aren’t a wine m0m with a drinking problem?<\/h2>\n

    The NHS suggests<\/a> that the following are signs of alcohol misuse:<\/p>\n