As any mom knows, having kids is no joke. Sure, motherhood is wonderful and rewarding and full of love. But there are a few other adjectives that also come to mind…challenging, exhausting, messy, loud, chaotic, stressful, fun, hilarious, poop-filled and awesome, just to name a few. People, and by people, we mean your kids (and maybe your spouse), often think that moms can do anything. You can carry all the groceries and your kid’s backpack and water bottle and favorite stuffed animal without dropping a thing or breaking a sweat. You can be in two places at once and you can operate on little-to-no sleep. You can go 8 hours without stopping to pee and there is nothing you can’t cure with a big hug. They think you are superwoman…and in reality, you are. But even superheroes need help sometimes.
When you start to doubt that you have what it takes to be a good mom, remember that being a good parent isn’t about perfection. You physically and emotionally cannot be everything to everyone at all times. You do your best, you laugh at the chaos, you wipe away the mess, and you keep going. And when you need a boost, a laugh or a dose of encouragement (we all do), read these inspiring and honest quotes from famous moms who, as it turns out, are just like you—they’re also amazing.
“Put her to sleep yourself every night. Sing to her and cradle her in your arms and sit by her side–every night. Because one day, you won’t be able to carry her anymore, and it’s going to happen really fast.”
– Salma Hayek, sharing advice from her aunt on raising her daughter Valentina
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“Excuse the mess, but we live here.”
– Roseanne Barr
“Everything he does makes me cry. He sang me a song that he wrote. He said “I wrote you a song” and I didn’t have the heart to tell him he plagiarized. But it was, you know, ‘Bingo.’”
– Sandra Bullock, on her son Louis
“Motherhood, marriage, it’s a balancing act; especially when you have a job that you consider rewarding. It’s a challenge but the best kind of challenge.”
– Meryl Streep
“I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time when you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible—oh, this is just impossible.’ And then you just keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.”
– Tina Fey
“The great thing about having a bunch of kids is they just remind you that you’re the person who takes them to go poop! That’s who you are!”
– Angelina Jolie
“You never know when you’re gonna get crapped on or when you’re gonna get a big smile or when that smile immediately turns into hysterics. It might be like living with a drug addict.”
– Blake Lively
“The sleep deprivation after children is so real. I liken it to what it must feel like to walk on the moon and cry the whole time because you had heard that the moon was supposed to be great but in truth it totally sucks.”
– Amy Poehler
“The absolute [greatest] thing about being a parent is that every day is a fresh start. You always can say, ‘Today we’re going to try this!’ And, if it goes horribly, you can say, ‘Today we’re throwing that out, and we’re trying this!’ That’s part of what I like about being a mom in general.”
– Jennifer Garner
“The big deal is, that it’s part of my job to make sure that you don’t grow up stupid. It’s bad for the world.”
– Tami Taylor (Connie Britton on Friday Night Lights)
