All mother, in the world, could be seen as over protective or always see their little ones as little but Greek mothers my friends are a special kind of breed especially the ones who have sons!
Now before you jump into conclusions about what you are about to read I must clear up that no all of them are as described but most of them. Also younger generation mothers in their 40's and 50's are also different to the traditional mother model!
So you will ask what is so different about Greek mother? Where do I begin?
A Greek mother has a special relationship with food - or shall I Say obsession! No, not for herself but she will make her children, her neighbours children and any person who steps into the house to visit eat where people actually end up eating just to get her off their back as no is not acceptable!
Besides food is the answer to everything that may be wrong with you from depression to stress. They know more about than a dietitian, doctor etc which takes me to the next point which is the: 'Greek mother is a walking encyclopedia'.
The Greek mother knows best and everything. No it doesn't matter if you are the best in your profession - she will always know better than you about your job whatever the field. They are an expert on everything according to them even though they have no clue unless it is about housework which is our next point.
The term queen is very limited to describe the Greek mother in her home. They have a special relationship with any cleaning device or product which would actually complain if possible as Greek mothers do tend to knock out anything that can be used to clean. Obsession is a term not enough to use in order to describe the madness of mothers which clean every day even things like mats!
Greek mothers never accept their children are grown up and that they are full grown adults and have a personality of their own and this is why they always other - any other people- know better than their children or even are always right. After all how can a child be right?
Now...my favourite part: mothers with sons! I will let the following picture speak for itself, taken in the Athens riots :
Now....what we have here is a classic example of a mother with her son and their obsession with jackets - God forbid you do not take your jacket or coat going out! This does not end with a second or third child of course - it just multiplies.
And God forbid the son gets a girlfriend, gets married etc. No woman is ever good enough. She will never be a better cook, housewife, mother etc. Besides she should not be accepted if she can't cook cause after all the Greek mother thinks that it is unacceptable for a woman not to cook. Again - not all are like that I repeat!
The funny thing of course is that all of them keep going on about how unfair their mother in laws are or were only to do the same to their daughters in law. Most mothers who are around 60 have also never done anything but housework which means they cannot detach themselves from their sons when they become an adult and treat them like babies!
If you visit a Greek army base you will I promise laugh your head off when mothers visit. It is really funny to watch a grown man who is trained in the army and has a gun to use being force fed by mummy cause she knows best and he has to eat all of his food.
Now as far as mothers with daughters and sons goes, you would imagine that they would teach their sons to be respective to women as mothers are women and treat equally their daughter and son: NO big mistake.
No matter how badly they may have been treated as a woman or by their mother in law they rarely try to make a difference raising a son. It is quite common with mothers over 50 in Greece to see how a daughter is shown to be independent but the son is actually handed even a glass of water so he will not need to get up.
Cant imagine what relationship problems this gap will create for these children: fully independent daughters taught to fight for their rights and demand equality and sons being treated as an Arab prince!
But I have to admit there are things that Greek mothers have which make them incomparable.
Greek mothers without notice will ask a friend to stay over for lunch and she will will be called an aunt by close friends as she will take in her children's friends. She will no matter how old her children are help and take them in to live with her if in difficulty and she will become a babysitter for her grandchildren and even help economically in their growing up.
And this is what makes Greek mothers one of a kind - can't live with them but we can't live without them!
Well..... Lets just say that I was not at the edge of my seat and happy I didn't pay a
