It’s official. I will never pay a penny to read anything by Ayelet Waldman.

She first caught my attention in January with her atrocious quote in the New York Times. Waldman believed that her children deserved to be belittled in her now defunct, aptly named blog, Bad Mother, for all the trouble they cause her.

Then today, I saw this manic woman on Oprah talking about her New York Times article. In the article, Waldman professes to love her husband above all else, including her four children; for not being able to live joyfully without him; for being proud that she still has a sex life unlike all the other mothers she knows.

There is something wrong with her.

I believe that I am strong enough and happy enough with myself that my life doesn’t depend like a leech on someone else. I love Marv but I have no intention of suffocating him with needy, clingy love. The same goes for Stephen (see Parenting Pledge).

I don’t even know why Waldman feels the need to compare the love she has for her children with the love she has for her husband. She claims that many women nowadays misplace all their time, energy, and emotions onto their children and leave none for their husbands.

Waldman obviously does not identify with the psyche of a real woman. If anything, we want to have some energy for ourselves first then the kids and the spouse. If the husband whines, then he needs to grow up and realize that being an adult often means sacrificing and prioritizing. While I don’t think women should ignore their husbands, I also don’t think we need to feel guilty for not being able to wipe their butts for them (saw that on a Jerry Springer commercial once).

As for sex, I don’t see why we should compare notes. This is a private matter. If one couple is satisfied with having less sex than another, then who are we to judge? Waldman thinks she’s qualified to judge and gloat for no reason.

Love is infinite, generous, and kind. The love I have for my parents, my sister, my in-laws, my friends, my husband, and my child are all different but all equally important. I don’t need to focus on any one individual to give and to receive love. Each love is like no other and fulfills me in a special way.

Waldman asks at the end of her article,

And if my children resent having been moons rather than the sun? If they berate me for not having loved them enough? If they call me a bad mother?

And the answer would be - you deserve it.