Motherhood makes you smarter
Did you know that motherhood makes you smarter (thanks to reader Rebecca for the article link!)?
No doubt you've heard the unflattering (but not uncommon) mothering stereotype that babies suck as much energy from your brain as they do from your body. Ouch. Sure, childrearing takes a toll -- as evidenced by the time you squeezed nipple cream onto your toothbrush. But giving birth is hardly the equivalent of a frontal lobotomy. In fact, motherhood may be the ticket to boosting your brainpower.I found this article fascinatingly interesting - maybe it's because I've felt short a few brain cells recently. I realized - in ways I hadn't thought of - how much sharper I am in certain areas since becoming a mom. Like, you always have to think of the very worst case scenario in any situation because your two-year-old is bound to come up with it soon if you don't take preventative measures ahead of time!
So says Katherine Ellison, the author of the new book The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter. In her book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, veteran foreign correspondent, and working mother of two young boys presents compelling evidence that having babies can make you smarter.
Read full article.
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:11 AM
4 Comments:
This book is not terribly new! It is a excellent book though, I read it at least a year ago and was really impressed with it!
I couldn't agree more. In spite of the times when I am plagued with "mommy brain"--especially when pregnant and running after a toddler--I have definately learned to multi-task and my husband is always amazed at how I can concentrate on several things at the same time. Like you wrote, Crystal, we also sharpen our insight skills and are able to better protect our young ones from potential danger.
Hmm...I think I'm not at the point yet where motherhood makes me smarter! From the time my son was born eight months ago, I have had trouble with:
-putting sentences together
-starting a sentence and then completely forgetting what I was talking about
-not being able to remember the right word for things
-at least a couple times a day, going into a room and forgetting why I'm there
I attribute these problems to a lack of sleep. Maybe once my son starts sleeping through the night, I'll get my old brain back.
On the plus side, since I became a mom, I'm much better at delegating than I used to be. :-)
Melissa - I totally agree with you! That's one reason I found this article so interesting. I needed the encouragement. :) Your son is only eight months old - hang in there and you might remember what it is like to sleep through the night again someday! Getting a good night's rest makes a huge difference - at least for me it does. I hadn't been sleeping well at all due mostly to horrible reflux (waking up for a few hours at a time most nights for the past few weeks). After trying many different things, my midwife finally put me on medication for reflux as a last resort. And I've slept through the night (well, almost!) for three nights in a row. I feel like a new woman today!!
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