It seems a bunch of Imperfect Parent writers are popping up all over these new fangled things called “podcasts” in the next couple of days.

First, Kristen Chase, our very own Mominatrix, hosts her Motherhood Uncensored radio show tonight, May 16, from 9-10 p.m. EST. Her topic is religion. including the subject I’m mainly interested in — raising kids without it. She’ll be joined by our favorite political pundit and atheist Julie Marsh, as well as author Dale McGowan and Noell Hyman. If the damn kids will keep their pie holes shut during that time, perhaps I’ll call in. Fortunately an MP3 of the show is also archived if you can’t listen during the live broadcast time.

Next up on the podcast plate, have you heard about True Mom Confessions? Of course you have, it’s been all over the place (seriously, how do we get that kind of publicity?). But in case you’ve been vacationing off the face of the Earth, TMC is a new website created by Rebecca Woolf and Romi Lassally that allows moms to bare their souls through an anonymous post. Apparently you all have a lot of dirty little secrets, because it’s taking off like crazy.

Now the pair has already spun off the site into True Mom Confessions Radio, a live internet call-in show, and this Thursday, May 17 from 5-6 p.m. EST Mominatrix shows up on the airwaves again as a guest along with our newest and totally faboo columnist, Rachael (aka Crankmama). They’ll be discussing sex and sexuality after motherhood. This show is also archived, if you’re unable to listen to Kristen and Rachael’s potty mouths in the middle of the afternoon.

This is a very entertaining bunch, so if you have yet to get into listening to podcasts, this would be a great time to start.

Do I win the award for the most links in a blog post? Sheesh.

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Recently, I’ve been first in line to criticize hip parenting, and the propensity for parentographers to take undue pride in swearing, drinking, cynicism, and ingratitude to the fertility gods. In her rant against parenting memoirs like Neal Pollack’s Alternadad, Lisa Carver captures the essence of the problem beautifully:

As a generation (X), what we know for sure is how to be sarcastic and irreverent. Parenthood is bigger than that. It inspires thankfulness, humility, rage,…wonder and a quiet sense of sacredness.

Parenthood is indeed bigger than the swearing, drinking, and the incipient hostility with which we approach all authority and institutions (how many divorces did we personally witness before age 20?). And nothing brings home the painful insufficiency of cynical disbelief more than having children, that series of moments requiring an absolutely strong infrastructure of hope, faith, and trust.

But after a little over a month writing for Babble’s Stoller Derby I now recognize that while hip/trendy/cynical parenting for its own sake is just silly, the posing and posturing has its own validity and purpose. I’m not talking about money and cool baby bags, I still think that stuff is gruelingly dull.

I mean those stands we take to protect ourselves from the hugely scary task of parenting. Sometimes the armor of analysis and trash talk is the only thing keeping me from shrinking from the absolutely terrifying weight of my love for my children. For some of us, having children is like learning about the day of one’s death. You know there is an end to this life (they leave home), yet you cannot let it stop you from digging in and feeling the horrible love and knowing that these people that you cherish will be the people who will eventually (slowly) break your heart. And so. You quietly whisper a prayer and and say “Amen.” So be it. So be it.

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