Parenting|

How You Know Your Mom Squad Has Your Back

by Team Scary Mommy
ABC Studios

Your true mom friends are the real deal. They are the ones who laugh at the most mundane baby stories, listen to you complain without judgement, and help you survive everything from toddlers to teenagers. Without my mom squad, I’d be a hot mess.

I’ve been more grateful than ever for my mom friends while watching American Housewife. This is one of the first shows that’s really nailed the mom squad. The show highlights Katie (the main character) and her friends Angela and Doris navigating the dynamics of living in Westport, Connecticut. Your mom friends should have your back, and this show nails the mom squad (although my mom buds and I drop a lot more f-bombs, but it is network tv).

They Love You Even If Your Lives Are Very Different

Success and happiness doesn’t look the same for everyone, and my mom pals and I often don’t look like we have much in common. On the show, Katie’s friends have different backgrounds and life experiences, and perfectly captures the way being a mom is completely universal. Like my squad, the show captures how even when moms are different, they deal with being “mom” the same way.

They Remind You of Your Beauty And Uniqueness When You Most Need It

When you’ve popped out a baby or two, your body changes and your self esteem can take a beating. Luckily, our mom friends remind us that we’re still gorgeous. When Katie has a bit of a self image crisis she says, “Who decided moms of three need to have the ass of an nineteen year old?” Her friend Angela sets her straight saying by reminding her how beautiful she is.

They Take Care Of Your Kids Like Their Own

I’m super lucky—one of my mom friends is mom of my kid’s best friend. There are plenty of playdates and sleepovers between us, and I love not having to worry about the rules and regulations changing between houses—with the added bonus of sometimes having MORE rules than I do. Nothing beats being able to say, “Hey, you could have it worse.” One of the funniest moments on the show comes when Katie leaves her kids with her friend Doris, a much stricter mom. After that day, the kids knew how good they had it!

They Love You Unconditionally, Even When You’re Stupid

I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve called my best friend to bitch about my family—and I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve realized in the middle of a rant that I was being an idiot. But my friend just listens and empathizes without judging me—and then laughs when I realize I’m being a dolt. There’s a moment on the show where Katie wonders if her husband is up to something, but her friends help remind her that her husband is a “boy scout” and he wouldn’t hurt her that way. It’s all about checks and balances.

They Help You Navigate School Parent Dynamics

Anyone who thinks mean girls grow up hasn’t volunteered for a school function with other moms. The same old popularity contests happen, just with a bonus level of parental judgement. This can spill into your children’s social lives, which sucks. On the show, Katie is navigating being a middle class woman in a rich town and doesn’t really want to fit in—until it impacts her daughter being invited to a birthday party. Katie relies on her friends’ expertise to help her make inroads in the Westport Mommy crew—which will be put to test in season two as she runs the annual school fundraiser!

Thank god for my mom friends. They are some of the smartest women and I know, and they keep me grounded when being a mom feels like too much—just like Katie, Angela, and Doris. Go mom squads! I can’t wait to catch up on all the Westport moms in season two!

New episodes of American Housewife air Wednesdays 9:30|8:30c