"It absolutely drives me insane that these men are complaining, because as a mom and a wife and a photographer, I know that this mom booked the shoot because her husband never takes photos of her and never takes photos of her and her kids."
They are the anchor that keeps me connected to myself—and gives me reassurance that I am not alone on this journey of parent and motherhood.
Because motherhood is often a rush—but that doesn't mean you have to get lost in the thick of it.
My fear is that we as a society have gotten so acclimated to hiding behind filters and only sharing the staged versions of ourselves, that we forgot how being genuine and authentic is not a revolution, but a normalcy.
Mirror mantras have empowered me to use my voice.
Eliza Fletcher was a woman. She was a mom. She was a wife. She was me—and countless other women who exercise or run errands alone.
Because as a mom, we all need a place that feels crucial to our identity—and Target is just that place.
I’ve been consumed by motherhood and marriage for so long. It’s time to get to know me again.
I realized that my children don’t need to relive my childhood to appreciate their heritage, just like I didn’t have to relive my father’s. They will appreciate being Hispanic in a different way than me.
Grief over the empty nest syndrome. Of not being needed in the same way. Of having to rediscover who I am apart from children.
It makes me human.
I want my kid to be happy, but I also want him to experience the range of emotions that life offers. And I want him to be able to talk about those experiences with me.
Because we already have it tough enough as is.
The one part being feeling isolated, especially in new motherhood.
Because I know how fleeting time is, and that these precious moments are ones we will never get back.
We all know it happens. But this reminder is reopening a vital conversation about the extent of body photoshopping on social media.
Women who make more money than their male partners are twice as likely to fake orgasms.
Sometimes, kids need to be given the opportunity to correct their mistakes and learn from them. And sometimes, that looks like allowing them to learn right from wrong in a way that’s constructive and not punishing.
I know that I have a kid now, but I am so much more than just a mom.
Questions not to ask to your busy mom friend with many kids.