Mama Rose doesn’t live here

Since I’ve updated my “About me” page and described myself as a “Stage mommy,” I wanted to clarify that.
There are women out there who have a tendency to push their children into acting, dancing, whatever because:
a) the kid has an aptitude for it, but more importantly…
b) Mom gets to live vicariously through the child’s accomplishments.

That is a “Stage Mom.”
A mother who is relentless in the pursuit of her child’s fame for the sake of their own validation. Yeah, I’m looking dead at you, Mrs. Spears.
Of course, the ultimate archetype of this is Mama Rose from Gypsy.
I LOVE that show.
The music is fantastic, the book is dramatic and what attention hog doesn’t have “Rose’s Turn” in her back pocket?
Mama Rose is the ultimate role and only actresses in the upper echelon of Diva can truly pull it off.

But, my friends have specific instructions to put me away if I ever become like that woman. Keep me away from my child(ren) should I ever start pushing them beyond the boundaries of sanity and common sense, driving them to do something because I never did.

No, as ridiculous as it sounds, I will continue to audition and sing and practice and show off my jazz hands for as long as I love it. When I stop loving it, I will stop doing it. I will not force my Little Man into the business. Should he become a doctor instead, I would not object (what good Jewish mother would object?).
That could be why I haven’t given up yet. I denied myself the joy of these things for a very long time in an effort to be sensible and practical. I’m now in the part of my life where some things I just have to do for my own sake. And this is the biggest of them all.

So, Little Man’s mommy may never be a star, but she will be a much happier person for trying.
And when the Queen is happy, the land is happy.