Mom Life & Toxic Positivity
I was surprised when a mom I know who had postpartum depression (like me) posted on Instagram that it’s been months of “pure bliss” with her kid.
Perhaps a way of coping, but that’s exactly what’s wrong with our toxic-positivity-mommy culture and the Instagram version of mom life.
With empathy, I saw the post and longed for her. I longed for us: why can’t we let it be messy and complicated? Why does it HAVE to be picture-perfect? Can we just acknowledge it’s okay for it not to be pure bliss?
I love my kids but I could do without the postpartum depression and anxiety every time I give birth, the piles of laundry, the fact that my house looks like a bomb has gone off inside of it daily by 5pm, the school “spirit weeks” which I’m convinced are designed solely to make parents do late-night Target runs, and managing the sheer day-to-day logistics of two kids and two careers.
To all the working moms out there who love their kids fiercely and feel like it's more of a daily rollercoaster than pure bliss, I see you. I also see you if your mornings look like ours: Morning Magic in the Braun Household (c. 2019).
As we begin a new year, here are three of my favorite resources for the working mom who doesn’t feel like her life is pure bliss:
Sh*tty Mom: my favorite “parenting book” of all time, celebrating the hilarity of when motherhood is fabulously messy, this book is a must-read for every mom.
Growing Your Career While Growing Your Family: join us on January 20th for one of our signature workshops to have a real conversation about real goal-setting as a busy working mom.
The working-mom-productivity-lie: a fabulous op-ed by Blessing Adesiyan about freeing ourselves from this dangerous lie, published in Fast Company.
Working motherhood is messy, so let’s make space for it—love, laundry, late nights and all.
Randi Braun is a certified executive coach, consultant, speaker, and the CEO of Something Major. Get in touch with Randi via email or social (below). Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.