What is TheWholeMom.com?

TheWholeMom.com is a quarterly web-zine by, for and about mothers. We believe that mothers are people first, and through TheWholeMom.com we intend to create a publication and a community that supports mothers in all aspects of their identities from, yes, children and childcare to career and work, personal callings, hobbies, politics, activism, the arts, education, anything you can think of. We believe that the crisis of identity that mothers often suffer is an artifact of a culture that prescribes narrow roles for women with children, focused on children and childcare to the exclusion of almost everything else, and with a standard of Good Mothering that dictates not only correct child-rearing practices but the proper political and social beliefs to accompany them.

We believe that having children is a transformative experience. Regardless of what “kind” of mother you are or the world sees you as, having children changes you—or not having them, as is the case for women struggling with infertility. From all parts of the motherhood continuum, from placing your children for adoption to adopting or undergoing fertility treatments, from having a baby on your own at 39 to getting married and starting a family at 19, from “staying home” with the kids for a few years to heading back to a busy and fulfilling career at six weeks, from the moment that tiny fragile bundle is placed in your arms to standing misty-eyed at your grandchild’s graduation—having children changes you.

It changes your perspective on the world. It changes your values. It changes your priorities. It changes the way you spend your time. It changes your income and the way you spend it. It can expand your heart and make you see the world in a whole new way.

We believe that mothers have important and interesting things to say about the world outside of the nursery, the kitchen and the playroom; but that too often our voices are marginalized into “mothers’ publications” or that, if a mother speaks in another venue, she will frequently mask her status in the interests of supposed objectivity.

At TheWholeMom.com we believe that motherhood (of any kind) is central to a woman’s identity, but it is not the whole of her identity—and it is the intersection of this one life-altering role and the many other roles, pursuits, interests and identities a woman may have that we intend to explore.

For the foreseeable future, TheWholeMom.com will be focused on the intersection of mothering and active social and political engagement, on any scale from the family through to global organizations. This is just one of the many ways that mothers continue to be women with diverse and important interests; but as global conflicts, environmental issues and new ethical dilemmas become increasingly crucial, we hope to inspire you and give you hope for your and your children's future.

Are you a mother?

For the purposes of TheWholeMom.com, you are a mother if:

* You have ever given birth;
* You have been or have attempted to become pregnant;
* You have entered into a surrogacy arrangement;
* You have adopted, fostered, or otherwise taken children into your care and responsibility;
* You have married or partnered with someone who has children, and you share childrearing and childcare responsibilities with this person.

This includes birth mothers, adoptive mothers, mothers after infertility, young mothers, mature mothers, single mothers, women who have recently become pregnant or who are trying to do so, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers—any kind of mother at all. We are interested in mothers from all walks of life: regardless of your current income, marital status, age, country of origin or current residence, living situation, work or political affiliation.

TheWholeMom.com is a progressive publication. We value diversity and tolerance and believe that a society which fosters acceptance and celebration of differences is healthier for us and for our children. Our focus is currently on the intersection of mothering with political and social engagement. Issues can range from environmental, to race, to sex and gender, to economic and class, and so on. Engagement can range in scale from actions taken within the family to global organizations or programs. The exception is family-scale activities which are really Mommy Wars in disguise (diapering, formula, television). Break the mold and tell us something new.

Submissions can fit into one of several categories:

Photos: Do you have a great picture of yourself, a friend, or someone else who fits our definition of a “mother”? We don’t care if Glamour or Vogue would put you on the cover; in fact, we’d rather if they wouldn’t.

Tidbits: Tidbits are anything short and snappy. It can be a brief news item, a recap of a recent study, a comic strip or illustration, a joke, or anything else that runs under 200 words.

Columns: Would you like to write a regular or occasional column for TheWholeMom.com? Pitch us an angle, and we’ll let you know.

Essays: Essays are longer pieces (800-3,000 words) that explore a facet of your personal experiences. These can explore general mothering issues (what do you do with the ten minutes between the kids' bedtime and yours?) or those relating to activism specifically (if you have only ten minutes between the kids' bedtime and yours, what exactly can you get done with it? Is it possible to address City Hall coherently when you haven't had a solid night's sleep in three years? How do you struggle with the tension between providing the culturally mandated Best Possible Life for your kids, vs. the one you personally think would be better both for them and for the world they live in? And so on).

Articles: Articles are similar in length to essays. These are not intended to be “parenting articles”; instructions on how to care for children will not be accepted. You might want to explore the ethics of bringing children to protest marches, or how to discuss gender issues with young kids, as two examples.

Reviews: Self-explanatory. Note that reviews do not need to cover books, music or film about mothers. You can write a review of anything from death metal to graphic novels to film noir. It is a little known fact that mothers occasionally shop outside the parenting section.

Interviews: Do you know a mom who's changing the world? Ask her how she does it.

Fiction and Poetry: While submissions specifically dealing with mothering are always welcome, feel free to wander off the beaten path.

TheWholeMom.com is financially supported by the editors, and we have no revenue. This means our site is accessible and ad-free; it also means we can’t pay contributors right now.

You can send a query for longer pieces; if you do, please include a writing sample (might include clips or, if you don’t have any, a link to your blog or a piece from your own zine). We will respond within two months. Please submit by email to andrea@thewholemom.com and include the query or piece in the body of the email.

Copyright: TheWholeMom does not retain copyright of published works. We acquire first-time electronic-only publishing rights. Please note that this includes the right to keep the work in the archives, as this is equivalent to a piece of printed work remaining in the issue in which it was published. If you need to explore removing a piece from the archives, let us know and we can work with you.

* I realize that in many portions of this document, my use of “mothers” falls back on traditional meanings of “woman who currently has children in her life who she is primarily responsible for,” which seems to exclude some mothers (birth mothers, women struggling with infertility, mothers after loss, etc.). But please feel free to insert yourself and your own experiences into any of these descriptions of potential content; don’t be limited by my imagination!

Information

TheWholeMom.com is published on an ongoing basis. The editors may be contacted at andrea@thewholemom.com or kim@thewholemom.com. TheWholeMom.com may receive, from time to time, unsolicited editorial-related materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images). TheWholeMom.com may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part without compensation of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials/pitches submitted by freelance writers, photographers or illustrators in accordance with known industry practices (though do note that at this time we are not able to offer financial compensation for such submissions).

The opinions expressed herein are those of the respective authors and not necessarily those of TheWhleMom.com or its editors. TheWholeMom.com will not be liable for any damages or losses as a result of the reliance on or use by a reader or any other person of any of the information, opinions or products expressed, advertised or otherwise contained herein. Where appropriate, professional advice should be sought.

© Copyright 2006-2007, TheWholeMom.com. Copyright in each contribution is separate from the copyright of the work as a whole and is vested with the author of the contribution. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.