New 'Bad Moms of Long Island' Facebook group is funny, supportive
Jesse Curatolo of Massapequa and Tara Johnson of Merrick, co-founders of the Facebook group "Bad Moms of Long Island." Credit: Composite photo; Jesse Curatolo, left, and Tara Johnson
The “Bad Moms” movies have inspired a Facebook group on Long Island that’s grown to more than 4,600 members since it was launched in September by two local moms who say they are not the type to cut cucumber sandwiches into star shapes for their kids.
Jesse Curatolo, 28, of Massapequa, created the Bad Moms of Long Island group with her friend and co-worker Tara Johnson, 46, of Merrick. Curatolo, a new mother of a 10-month-old girl, says she found other Facebook parenting groups “super judgmental.”
“I was uncomfortable reaching out for help,” Curatolo says. “People should be able to vent and say, ‘I’m not a perfect mom. I gave my kids pizza for breakfast. I drank a glass of wine at 4 in the afternoon.’”
And vent the moms do.
Some recent examples: “Nothing says Monday morning like shouting, ‘If you both don't sit back down to eat your breakfast I’m throwing it out and no one is eating until lunch so sit!’ It's 7:15.” Or: “My 18-year-old now hates me and hates the world because I won’t let him take the car.” Or: “Chocolate for breakfast! We just got back from Disney so we’re still in that mode!”
Says Johnson of the posts: “So many of them make me laugh. Everyone parents their own way. We all do what we think is best for our families. As long as there’s no child abuse or neglect, we’re good.”
Some of the posts are risqué when they touch on love and marriage; some use colorful language to express their frustrations. Others are more serious. For instance, one mom posted “Sometimes when I get home at night I just cry in my car because I’m so overwhelmed,” Curatolo says. She quickly got dozens of comments in support. “If anybody judges, we kick them out,” Curatolo says.
Curatolo and Johnson have also launched real-world meetups for group members; the next one will be at Croxley’s Ale House in Farmingdale sometime in January. The duo also has T-shirts available for members to purchase starting at $15.
Running the site has become like a mini job, says Curatolo, whose full-time position is regional manager for Lice Clinics of America, where Johnson, who has three children ages 17, 7 and 5, is a client intake coordinator. “I cannot believe the rate at which it grew,” Johnson says of the Facebook group.
Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.
