Motherly Stories
Motherhood changes us. Celebrate the ups and downs with these honest, insightful essays about becoming—and being—a mom.
6 lies about marriage after kids
Your relationship might become less spontaneous after kids, but that doesn’t mean it’s less exciting.
For our children, it’s time we stop forgetting
No number of days is enough to erase the deaths of innocent children who had mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who loved them. No amount of time is enough to forget the violent state we’re living in.
When your kids are all grown up and summer doesn’t feel the same
It’s every old cliche, good-intentioned advice, “The days are long but the years are short.” But no one tells you how short.
Everything I want for my child and everything I’m afraid of
How would I tell him that classrooms are a place for books and not for bullets? How would I tell him that kids can become angels, too—as heavy as that thought may be to fathom?
Therapy made me a better mom—and wife
I was so used to giving even when I was on an empty tank. But in the end, I was doing myself (and everyone around me) a disservice.
Grieving the loss of my father was complicated by motherhood
Even though I’m a rational person, my heart couldn’t process death being forever.
To the mama raising a ‘wild child’ like Prince Louis
I know what it’s like to constantly wonder whether you’re doing right by your child, whether you’re giving them the space to be who they are while also teaching them to respect the world around them.
When depression makes you feel like an awful parent
"Depression looks different from person to person, just like parenting styles differ from parent to parent."
What’s it like to be pregnant and chronically ill?
"For me, it’s meant the risk of long-term immobility because my Symphis Pubis is at risk of rupture and I can no longer walk. It means another four and a half months minimum of immobility to go. If the SP ruptures it could mean further more extreme long term disability, loss of mobility, incontinence and need for surgical intervention."
5 things we want our child to always know about our home
Because these are the walls that shaped him. And they will continue to shape him as he travels through the years.
If you love ‘fiver parties’, you’ll really love this alternative to a no-gift birthday party
We’ve been doing giving parties in our family for several years now and they are downright magical.
This is who I hope my children become despite our complicated world
Despite a world so torn, I believe we can raise children who are strong, resilient, successful and happy.
A ‘lazy parent summer’ is the only way I want to summer
Lazy parent summer means cutting myself—and my family—some slack.
You’re allowed to feel the grief and joy of being a NICU mom
Grief and gratitude are not unique to themselves. They share space, overlapping in even the most unexpected areas of our lives.
Motherhood is filling your cup—and draining it at the same time
Two steps forward, one step back. But always in motion.
I wasn’t prepared for the emotions of watching my child graduate preschool
If there’s anything that motherhood has taught me, it’s that what they say about blinking is really true. The next milestones and changes and seasons of parenting come before you are ready for them to.
How to lessen the load as the default parent
As hard as it is to be the default parent, many of us find it just as difficult to relinquish control. Sometimes, we resent the fact that we’re the ones making all the decisions for our family, yet we don’t let anybody else make them.
My child came out at 16. Here’s what I want other parents to know
When I became a mother, my goal was to let my children know they had the freedom to be who they were and that their mom would never turn her back on them.
How motherhood myths impacted my struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety
Postpartum depression and anxiety were closely aligned with the myths of motherhood I had been sold my entire life.
To my father: Thank you for showing me what to look for in a man
When I look at my husband, I see the same similarities of a devoted father and husband. Of a man who would do anything for his family despite the unpleasantries that life may throw his way.