Motherly Stories
Motherhood changes us. Celebrate the ups and downs with these honest, insightful essays about becoming—and being—a mom.
I had my baby abroad, and this is what the U.S. is getting wrong
What if the U.S understood that the well-being of new parents is intrinsically tied to the well-being of our future generations?
I’m the friend who had kids first. Here’s what I wish my other friends had known
Understand that your mama friend still needs you.
Starting solids? Don’t miss the ‘flavor window’
From purees to Pad Thai: An expert shares how and when to introduce bold flavors to your budding foodie.
Is it really true that we’re ‘only as happy as our least happy child?’
Does our joy have a threshold that is set by our children’s situation?
Birdwatching unexpectedly helped me find peace in motherhood
It’s a welcome change for our eyes to focus on nature. The only screen we see at that moment is the one between the window glass and the world.
It’s OK if you don’t go to every sports game
We are parents, not superheroes. We cannot be in multiple places at the same time. We cannot do all things or be all things.
5 things to know about introducing solids, from a mom in the midst
Food introduction isn’t always a straight line.
How shared custody prepared me for college drop-off
I stood there alone amidst the towering redwood trees waiting for the grief to hit. It didn’t.
The pulse of a mother’s postpartum anxiety
I cannot make it stop, for all the things I’ve tried, it will not stop.
3 beautiful things I didn’t expect when breastfeeding my toddlers
After Rumer Willis shared a photo of herself breastfeeding her toddler, the internet had… thoughts. People have a lot to say about this perfectly natural choice—but here’s what you might not be prepared for.
How moms and daughters can close the investing gender gap together
Recent Greenlight data shows that 61% of dads and boys say they're interested in investing, compared to only 42% of moms and girls.
What people get wrong about being a mom in your 40s
Life in your 40s can best be described by these three words: in your feelings.
A mother’s journey after loss
Through ISF, I’ve been able to honor Isabella’s legacy by supporting other families, raising awareness and advancing treatment options and research for rare pediatric cancers.
You’re not a hot mess mom—you’re a normal one
Being a mom is messy sometimes. And that's normal.
Doctors told me I wasn’t ‘healthy enough’ to get pregnant again. Here’s what I did next
HGTV star Jasmine Roth opens up to Motherly about experiencing secondary infertility, advocating for herself and trusting her body again.
Don’t feel guilty for reminding your kids’ grandparents they need to update their parenting skills
With studies and findings to support best practices for raising our children, it’s our job to make sure that everyone who will be in our kids’ lives are aware of those things
What’s it like being a ‘boy mom’? All the things I wish I had known
From wondering how many times is one too many for your son to bump his head in a day to getting an empty tin popcorn bucket slammed onto your head—raising boys is exhausting and fun and extremely unpredictable.
Sometimes pregnancy is the worst, so let’s stop romanticizing it
Because not every woman has a “perfect” pregnancy.
Working women still do most of the housework—so why are men saying they now do a lot more?
The annual Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey finds diverging perceptions in how women and men see their contributions at home.
I refuse to do my kids’ homework
There is a way to support our children, without taking over.