Meet Susan T., an Uncommon Mom

Uncommon Moms is a recurring feature of Maternal Journal. Each month, we interview one mom whose life isn’t cookie-cutter or predictable. Why? Part of our work at Maternal Instinct is to help clients unlearn beliefs they hold about motherhood. And with the Census Bureau now reporting that only 4% of households fit the June Cleaver blueprint (working father, SAHM, and kids under 18), it’s never been more critical to widen your view about moms. In truth, all moms are uncommon—there’s no such thing as a common mom anymore.

(Note: due to the sensitive nature of Susan’s job, we have protected her identity in this interview.)

How many kids do you have and what are their ages?

I have two boys, ages 9 and 6.

What makes you an uncommon mom?

I’ve chosen a career in law enforcement, which is still uncommon for moms. I’m hoping that this changes in the future! I’m a supervising investigator at a California law-enforcement agency.

I perform the duties of a regular policeman/policewoman, just wear a suit and a gun, handcuffs, and pepper spray every day instead of a uniform. I also am part of a computer forensic team that retrieves electronic data for evidence.

In many ways, I confront the same challenges of all working mothers with school age children—scheduling play dates, class workdays, field trips, pick up and drop off times, etc. But instead of running out of a meeting, I’m leaving a search warrant, field operation, or running to and from court in time for pick up.

In some ways, it’s isolating, because it’s hard to shift gears from a warrant to the playground and there aren’t many, if any, other moms standing on the playground who do what I do.

And in what ways are you a traditional mom?

I want what all moms want for their children: that they grow up to be happy, confident, well-adjusted people. I still come home and make dinner—okay, not every night and it doesn’t always include all the food groups—do homework, sign permission slips, make lunches, give baths, bake cookies for school, attend field trips, go to baseball and soccer games, and chauffeur.

Can you think of an ad or marketing campaign you’ve seen recently that either “got” you or “missed” you?

I recently flipped through a popular woman’s magazine and was really disappointed to see the number of ads where there was a woman, with a lot of makeup, sitting very suggestively, and promoting everything from a car, to perfume, to watches, jewelry, and clothing!

I always “got” the Nike woman ads and felt so empowered after reading them.

Kat Gordon is founder and creative director of Maternal Instinct, an agency that specializes in marketing to moms. She is also the founder of “The 3% Conference”, highlighting the importance of women in advertising.