“How is it that my child takes so long to put on her shoes?!” I waved my fists around dramatically. The women on in the online room with me grinned and nodded. Deep in my bones, I felt the relief of not being alone.
We were gathered for an session of The Mother Pack, my 6-month online group philosophical coaching program for moms, talking about how aggravating and heartbreaking it is to hurry our children along to meet the demands of our fast-paced, over-scheduled world.
One member, a writer, lawyer, and mother of teenagers, introduced us to “Mussolini Mom,” the name she gave to the version of herself that dominated her kids’ younger years.
“The trains run on time, but she’s a fascist.”
We all laughed in recognition. I definitely have had Mussolini Mom running the show in my home a lot of the time, barking about how many minutes my daughter has before we need to leave for the bus stop.
This moment in The Mother Pack, along with a few others, helped inspire my word of the year for 2025:
Fun.
Every year, I choose a word or theme to explore, unpack, and hold as a guide for my endeavors. This year, I want to explore how to be a little less “Mussolini” and instead have more fun, as a parent, a partner, an entrepreneur, and a coach.
As I looked at these members of The Mother Pack on my screen, I felt so incredibly grateful that they were showing up so honestly, with such trust and courage, and sharing themselves with me. And, I was having such fun.
I will hold Informational Meetings for the next cohort tomorrow, Wednesday, January 15, 2pm PT and Monday, January 20, 11:30am PT. Get the Zoom link by registering here. If you register, but can’t make it, I’ll send you a recording!
And yeah, I’ll say it:
It’s gonna be fun.
Danielle LaSusa Ph.D. is a Philosophical Coach, helping new moms grapple with what it means to make a person. She is the creator of The Meaning of Motherhood course, which explores the changes in identity, meaning, and wisdom that come with motherhood. To join her mailing list, subscribe here.
© Copyright Danielle LaSusa PhD, LCC, 2021. All rights reserved.
