Has the yummy mummy had her day? « angels & urchins blog

Has the yummy mummy had her day?
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

For once, I thanked my children for waking me up nice and early last Sunday morning. We got up at around 7am, had a nice, leisurely breakfast, then sat down with Lego and cups of tea to watch Andy Murray play Roger Federer in the Australian Open final. My husband has something of a crush on the Swiss tennis giant, but wanted the snarling Scot to triumph, so we were all set for a thrilling morning. My brother and his wife were staying, which meant I had someone to gossip with between points. And gossip we did.

The subject we leapt to was Federer’s wife. They are, apparently, childhood sweethearts and it’s a rare match that doesn’t have her supporting from the sidelines (in this case, with his mum sitting next to her – the two girls look scarily similar). Giving birth to twin girls last year doesn’t seem to have dampened Mrs Federer Jnr’s enthusiasm one little bit. But instead of applauding her devotion, the sister-in-law and I got into a heated discussion about why she didn’t make a bit more effort when watching matches. The world’s press would be watching, millions of viewers seeing her every sigh and frown, so how about a bit of a blow dry? And is a grey hoodie really all she could come up with, when presumably she has the money to get someone to shop for her, and suggest the best outfits to make her look fabulous? And why oh why chew sweets all the way through the match? And the odd smile might be nice.

So much for the sisterhood. Instead of applauding her laid-back answer to the cult of the yummy mummy and WAG identikit, we sniped at her lack of style. Rather than being amazed she was still up and running in a different time zone, with twins in tow to boot, we couldn’t believe that she hadn’t focused on the important things in life: namely, making herself look as fabulous as possible. Come on, even Cheri Blair travelled with a hairdresser.

I admit it, I’m ashamed. We’re so used to seeing glamorous celebrity wives in the pages of Heat, Hello! and Grazia that we find it hard to believe that anyone famous can marry someone of less than supermodel perfection. And having a baby then posing in a swimming costume two weeks later a la Liz Hurley is so much the norm in the world of the famous, that we’re appalled when a mum in the public eye does what most of us do post-birth, and has a bit of a break.

So is Federer’s wife a torch bearer for contemporary wifedom and motherhood? She stands resolutely by her man, safe in the knowledge that it’s her he loves, and not her perfectly triple-highlighted hair. I bet his life is made unimaginably easier with her around, and I also bet she couldn’t care less if he never won another Grand Slam, as long as he was happy. It must take steely confidence to be so frequently in the public eye and not seem to care about looking groomed. I know I’d be ultra paranoid about my looks if I knew millions were likely to see the sleep-deprived bags under my eyes.

So I’m going to try and change the habit of a lifetime and think of mumsy as a compliment rather than an insult. As a far from yummy mummy myself, it seems only fair.

Tags: The Urchin Rants

12 Responses to “Has the yummy mummy had her day?”

nappyvalleygirl says:

February 2, 2010 at 18:48

I have to say Federer strikes me as one of the more sorted tennis players, and if he’s happily married to his childhood sweetheart, that probably helps. Lots of sportsmen seem to go for a kind of trophy wife – but as Tiger Woods has proved, that doesn’t always a happy marriage make.
Brit In Bosnia says:

February 2, 2010 at 19:38

I LOVE Federer. I love the way he moves. I didn’t see his wife (maybe I did, but didn’t notice who she was, the Bosnian commentary on her style going over my head) but I’m liking the sound of her alot. I do hope Yummy Mummy has had her day. I’ll never be one myself. Too much effort all round.
angels&urchinsblog says:

February 3, 2010 at 12:05

Nappy Valley Girl – Federer does indeed seem extremely grounded. We watched him play once, and though it wasn’t one of his epic matches, he was very graceful and magnaminous in defeat. You’re so right about the trophy wife; how depressing it must be to have to think about what you look like the entire time. Though I still don’t think I’d face millions wearing a hoodie.

Brit in Bosnia – Your Federer crush sounds an even larger one than my husband’s! And bye bye yummy mummy, can we all go to earth again?
Home Office Mum says:

February 4, 2010 at 00:09

Once upon a time, I used to yummy. That was before I was a mummy. I’m not convinced the two words have ever been used in the same sentence to describe me. Sigh.
angels&urchinsblog says:

February 4, 2010 at 10:09

Home Office Mum – bet you’re still yummy (and never seen in a grey hoodie!)
Home Office Mum says:

February 4, 2010 at 20:09

A&U – today I am wearing a pair of jeans with a rip on the inner thigh so that a roll of fat oozes out. Nice. I’m teaming it with a grey (used to be white) baggy long sleeve vest type thing, with a navy blue fleece. No make up, hair looks like I’ve been pulled through a bush. So no grey hoodie but not really anything to send off to Grazia magazine’s Look of the Week either
gail says:

February 9, 2010 at 00:04

I think after being at Wimbledon a hefty 9 months pregnant or whatever she was, she probably thinks she looks pretty lean and mean just now. I actually thought she looked pretty decent, but then my standards are perhaps lower than most. I am sick of tarted up women looking fabulous, Colleen McL in Hello Mag in her Louboutins and partying till 2.30 am with a 2 month old baby at home. What is she trying to prove? Life is short, being vain is not as important as being a decent human being who can have a proper relationship. I reckon she is dead nervous for her husband as she knows that he is driven to succeed and will be gutted if he loses and she loves him so much that she just wants the best for him but has to look on as he does it alone on court, she can’t help there. He makes it look so easy, but he has sweated for all his glory.
MrShev says:

February 9, 2010 at 10:11

They are Swiss, hence the no smiling.

I must admit to liking Federer as well. He just gets on with it, wins match, in his own way. No histrionics. I actively dislike Murray. He is too grumpy and I don’t think he would be a gracious winner.
angels&urchinsblog says:

February 9, 2010 at 16:03

Gail – OK, I get it, I’m being a meanie. But I agree with you about Colleen and co tottering around about two seconds after giving birth. I always feel glued to the sofa for at least three months, and certainly don’t feel like getting dolled up. You’re right about Mrs F standing by her man. Just wish she’d smile a bit more.

MrShev – Aha, I see, your insider knowledge of the inner workings of the Swiss is coming to the fore. I’d always thought of them as a smiley nation because of all that chocolate and cheese. Love Federer. Murray, despite what his PR team are trying to do, is still grumpy. He was endearingly choked up after losing though; I thought he’d snarl and stomp off saying, ‘Huh. Didn’t want to win anyway’.
Eisenhower Howard Miller says:

February 10, 2010 at 15:40

haha, Fed is so talented! I love him.
babieswhobrunch says:

February 16, 2010 at 21:23

I admit I didn’t notice her get up. But I love the fact that she didn’t feel like she had to bother much. After all, even turning up to the match must have been an ordeal. ALthough I did wonder how the girls were coping without her for all that time. I wasn’t separated from Louis at all for at least the first year! Which is actually nothing to boast about…..
angels&urchinsblog says:

February 16, 2010 at 21:39

Babieswhobrunch – Do you think the girls weren’t with her? I assumed they’d be holed up in a luxury hotel somewhere. Gulp. Poor her if she has to leave them at home the entire time, not sure if I could. The first time I went into the office after baby 1 I cried all the way there, and ran home from the station. And I mean seriously ran, I could barely breathe by the time I reclaimed my oblivious little one!

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