The Drama Mama

Certainly one of the easiest Moms to spot is the Drama Mama. She is characterized by the constant swirl of “interesting and significant” events in her and her children’s lives. These events may be real or not.

Drama Mamas have the ability to take any minor occurrence and turn it into something huge and important. She will always rush into a room, often late, and launch right into her latest tale of woe. Her hardships may be (but are certainly not limited to) medical emergencies, issues at school, neighborhood in-fighting, and car trouble.

Another interesting characteristic of the Drama Mama is that she will not allow anyone else to trump her drama. If one mom is talking about her child’s unfortunate upper respiratory infection, Drama Mama will dive right in with a tale of walking pneumonia. Oh the horror!

In rare cases, a Drama Mama will collect stories from other sources and use them as her own. Vague and rare medical conditions seen on TV and readings in tabloids are excellent fodder. This type of Drama Mama is especially toxic, because her lying is boundless. If she is so desperate for attention that she will make up stories, she may take the next step to creating actual drama, which can derail friendships.

There is also the Drama Mama by Proxy. I admit to falling into this role on occasion. You see, I am blessed with a mother-in-law who leaves chaos in her wake. She is a Drama Mama, and I get the opportunity to use her stories for the entertainment of my friends. It’s a tad mean, but I rationalize that since I never mock her to her face and my friends do not know her, that it isn’t such a major offense. Drama Mamas and Martyr Moms are also closely related. Look for a post on the Martyr Mom later…

How not to become part of the drama:
* Be polite and listen if you feel you should, but do not ask too many questions. This only feeds the Drama Mama’s need for attention
* If she interrupts someone else’s story to take over, steer the conversation back to the original speaker.
* Change the subject. If she monopolizes a conversation (which she often does), wait until she draws breath and ask what everyone is doing over the weekend, what they think about a partcularly volatile political situation, or the latest celebrity gossip.
* Do not allow yourself to get directly involved with the drama. Do not take her shopping for the right clothes to wear after her maybe/emergency appendectomy.
* It goes without saying that if you ever think she’s jumped the shark and is in a position to harm her children or herself, inform the proper authorities.