Sometimes parenthood can just feel like one big prank... When I was preparing for my new/expecting moms workshops (which I hosted at Sugar Hill Creamery in Harlem), I created a workbook (or, rather a “fun book”) with exercises, comics, worksheets, and prompts to help anxious expecting moms. I plan to keep refining this as I learn what parts of it are most helpful to people on the threshold of parenthood.
It gets exhausting hearing the same tropes, warnings, advice, and admonishments over the course of your 9 months gestating so I thought, why not make a game of it! In the previous post you'll find a worksheet I made to add some levity to the constant comments pregnant people receive. It's a “Pregnancy Cliche Bingo" sheet!
Sometimes the offhand remarks people make can affect us deeply and I wanted to lend a little levity to the constant barrage of input. I think it’s helpful to try to treat these comments or actions lightly so that they aren't so depleting. If you collect some, you've definitely earned a little treat for putting up with it! Here's a succinct comic version of it:
What cliched remarks or actions did you experience while pregnant or have you overheard? I’d love to know as I keep making changes to my comics and workbook. It was surprisingly easy to fill up a 25 square board!