5 Reasons Why Livestock Show Moms Deserve a Little Extra Love This Mother's Day
“That’s why we show up. That’s why we hang tough.”
So many of the lines in Adam Sanders’ new song, “Do What We Do,” resonate with me as a “show mom.” But there’s something about that line that just makes me smile. I think it describes our role as show moms pretty well.
It really is all about hanging tough. (Don’t cue NKOTB)
Because let’s face it, livestock shows are wonderful, but they aren’t for the faint of heart. When you become a show mom, rest assured you’re going to experience your fair share of teachable moments. There’s no question being a show mom is a privilege, but here are five reasons why they deserve a little extra celebration.
1. Her laundry load will exceed the bounds of normal.
Show moms must face the hard fact that with livestock comes a lot of laundry. When your kids wear three outfits a day (think school, sports practice, barn), and go through a couple outfits on Saturday and Sunday at the show, you find yourself with a lot of dirty clothes on hand. My advice? Use that laundry time as an excuse to shut your door, watch a TV show your husband doesn’t like, and as my mom always said, “pretend you want to be doing it.”
2. She has to swallow her pride.
It’s not easy to see your kid get beat, especially when you know how many hours they’ve spent to get to that point. However, life is about getting through the wins and losses. There is no better way to teach your kids how to win and lose gracefully than in the show ring. And, unlike sports, stock show parents get to be right there with their kids to help them walk through the disappointment. Sometimes it’s hard to put on the “we’ll get ‘em next time” face, but it’s a very important part of the job description.
3. Her barn gets more attention than her house.
It’s a little funny, but it’s true. The barn (or the animals in the barn) gets all the attention during show season around here. For example, should we redo mom’s kitchen or buy more pens for the barn? The barn always wins. I’ve just come to realize that when show season’s in full force, the kids are needed more in the barn and I can expect to get a lot less help in the house.
4. She will make a lot of sacrifices.
As a show mom, your calendar fills up fast with shows. Every year we think we’ll try to make more time for family vacations and non-livestock show activities. And every year we find ourselves at more shows. The truth is you can’t do it all and showing livestock requires prioritization. In our family, no one wants to give up the shows enough for a tropical vacation...yet.
5. She will have to pinch her pennies.
Showing livestock requires financial investment. Admittedly, it doesn’t make sense financially if your end goal is to make money. But if your end goal is quality time and togetherness, there’s nothing better. Looking back, my parents always say that every dollar they invested into our horse and livestock showing experience was money well spent. If they could do it over, they’d probably invest more into it. It goes by fast.
It should come as no surprise how I responded when my family asked me what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day. After all, “It’s your day, Mom. We want you to be happy.” Did I want to enjoy breakfast in bed, lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant and a day to relax around home? Or did I want to go to a pig show?
I’ll let you guess what I chose.
More from Farm Journal's PORK:
Nashville Singer and Pig Farmer Release Anthem for Ag
San Antonio Barrow Show Winner Captures Hearts and Breaks Records
