motherhood is hard

Dear mothers: We can’t keep pretending this is working for us

It's not simply overwhelming that parenting standards have risen dramatically while support systems have vanished, it's an unfair setup that has mothers thinking their personal inadequacies are to blame for what is actually the fault of a broken system and distortions of reality.

Eva Mendes on the realities of parenting: It’s so hard + so wonderful

She gets it.

This is what postpartum mamas actually need

This is a picture of me mid-meltdown during my second week as a mom of two. I just got done breastfeeding for what felt like the 100th time and my husband had just entered the room asking if I needed anything, and I said no. When he walked out, I just broke down. Because there were SO many things I needed.

This mama’s Facebook post is going viral because it’s what mothers need to hear right now

"There's no trophy"

#Winemom culture is about SO much more than wine—and we need to talk about it

I realized that, for better or worse, joking about being a wine mom is a palatable code for saying "this is hard." That feeling is one just about every parent experiences, often on a daily basis—but it can still be hard to admit, lest we be accused of not appreciating motherhood enough.

Self-care can’t fix parental burnout, but redefining motherhood can

Parents need help, and we need to take back the definition of what makes a "good" parent.

The (very good) reason why so many people insist on telling pregnant women how hard parenting is

Giving unsolicited advice is just one parent's attempt to help another parent avoid the challenges they went through.

To the mama who doesn’t have everything together—you’re not alone

My day-to-day is filled with micro failures that prevent me from achieving any semblance of "best mom ever" status.

In each phase of parenthood, I kept thinking the next phase would get easier

Spoiler: It does and it doesn't.

What I tell myself when I start to lose my temper with my child

These three little words really help. ❤️

After years of infertility I thought I was prepared to have a baby, the reality was different

You are allowed to vocalize how hard this actually is. Just because you endured a longer road to get here does not take away the fact of the pressure of being a mother.

To the mama who lets their child pick their own outfits—I see you

I see that your child also has 5+ bows in their hair and a layer of leggings, shorts and a skirt on.

In case you didn’t know, you are the best mama in the whole world

But it's not for the reasons you might think.

All I can be right now is an ‘okay’ mom—and I’m fine with that

I know this is a "hard season" of life. But I also know—because every well-meaning person over 40 tells me constantly—that these days go by so fast and to cherish them.

Becoming a mama of 2 was harder than I expected

Now that I'm a tired mama with a baby on her hip and a toddler by her side I'm learning you can never say no too many times. No to extra stressors, no to unrealistic expectations, no to too many commitments on the family calendar.

Bekah Martinez defends saying ‘sometimes having a baby sucks’—but she shouldn’t have to

Moms are entitled to feel exhausted or overwhelmed or defeated, and they're allowed to express those feelings. We should never shame them for doing so.

A brutally honest photo reminded me how complex motherhood can be

When I looked at it a third time, I realized this was a beautiful photo of us. Honest, intimate and real, this photo perfectly captured all the feelings in the room that night, and the reality of motherhood, which is as complex as this photo.

Hot dogs, sunscreen and all the other ways I’m ‘messing up’

Why does it have to be so incredibly complicated?

The three words that saved my motherhood

This simple life built of love is enough.

Motherhood is: Managing to keep on going even when it feels like you can’t

I still don't feel completely steady on my feet, but I'm on auto-pilot now. I get up. I change him. I feed him. I put him back in bed. Wash, rinse, repeat.