Are You a Beta Mom?

I recently came across a term that was wholly new to me, and unless I'm way behind the curve, it probably will be to you also. It's the recently coined name for moms who do the best they can with what they have, and feel that's good enough.

They're not perfect. They make mistakes. But they love their kids, and are doing the best they can at any given moment to raise them well. Think Julia Louis Dreyfus's character in the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. They're "Beta Moms."

There's a great article by Sharon Jayson at USAToday.com about this new "laid-back" brand of mom, along with some signs that you might be a Beta Mom. And to these, I'll add a few of my own.

You might be a Beta Mom if:

• You sometimes serve your kids pancakes, eggs, or some other food normally reserved for breakfast at dinner.

• You cannot now, nor will you ever be able to, eat off your kitchen floor.

• Your kids are not unfamiliar with the dollar menu at McDonald's and Wendy's.

• You don't cheerfully sign up for every school fundraiser, bazaar, or field trip.

• Your homemade cookies can be broken off in little squares and plopped right onto a cookie sheet.

• Your kids are happy to find two socks in the laundry basket that belong to the same color family.

Feel free to comment with your own additions to the list.