UPDATE: They changed that category to Adopting Moms - which is still kinda stupid, but it's better than what they had.

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I have to wonder what goes through peoples' minds sometimes. The depth of certain peoples' ignorance astounds me and makes me alternately sad and so angry, I want to scream.

One of my friends from my adoption board posted today about NBC's Mother's Day contest - http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists which has a few different categories of moms. One of which is "Non-Mom" which includes Grandmothers, Step-mothers and ADOPTIVE moms. What the HELL?!?! Since when are adoptive parents NOT parents? And for that matter, when did grandmothers become non parents? And adding to that, I know some step-moms who are more mom to their step-kids than the biological mom. Who gets to say a mom is a non-mom??

The Heritage Dictionary defines Mother as A woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child, while Merriam Webster defines Mother as simply a female parent. To call adoptive mothers "Non-Moms" is a deep cut. I'm sure my friends who are adoptive moms would be surprised to hear that they aren't really moms when they're up in the night feeding and changing babies, or bandaging a toddler's skinned knee, or when teaching their teenager to drive. I'm sure that adoptees are shocked to find that the woman who they went to when they were scared or sick isn't really their mom. According to NBC, we're really more like glorified babysitters! Who woulda thunk it?

Here is the contact info for the contest if you'd like to complain...and I urge you to please do so.
1-800-225-7435
support@americasfavoritemom.com

Email for Donny and Marie Osmond
Kesti@marieosmond.com
email4donny@donny.com

And by the way, Marie Osmond is an adoptive mother herself, and I am really surprised she would associate herself with this bullshit. She should be ashamed of herself.