“We all know you are the glue that holds it all together, even if some days it drives you nuts to be it.”
‘After a long day, a mother’s body is exhausted, but it is her mind that suffers the most. The mental load of it all. Remembering to do it all. Worrying about it all.’
‘We received a phone call from the teacher. Parents were complaining about our daughter. It was clear it was my best friend.’: Autism mom says it’s not a ‘disturbance’ but an ‘opportunity to teach’
“She demanded Chloe be removed and sent to an alternative school with ‘those kids.'”
‘My husband passed away from a sudden heart attack at 32. I felt like my world was crashing in. Although I had two beautiful babies, I thought multiple times about suicide.’
“My best friend had enough of my sorrow and stole my phone to add me to Tinder. I absolutely HATED the idea. There was no way I would let a man near myself or my children.”
‘I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. The woman shared that her grandmother had a son. He died immediately after he was born. Someone took photographs to show her later – because they knew she’d never get to see him.’
“I realize I eavesdropped a bit more than I intended. But when you’ve lost a baby – these moments have a way of finding you.”
‘STOOOOPPPP!’ I could no longer rationalize his strange and uncomfortable behavior.’: Sexual assault survivor bravely speaks up after 20 years, urges ‘you are not your story’
“I would witness dual sides of his personality. One would be full of love and laughter as a family man and the other would be animalistic and cruel. I felt like his prey. An outsider greatly misunderstood. I began to question whether or not it was my fault and if I’d somehow given him the wrong impression. I was sworn to secrecy.”
She said, ‘NO. You’re going to go sit down and enjoy your dinner, and I will be there to sit with her!’
“I went to find our waitress to ask if she could please bring my food out in a To-go box because we were going out to sit in the car…”
‘I am a mom of 3-year-old triplets. I have heard ‘I don’t love you today’ every single day this week.’
“My worth is not defined in the mean things my 3-year-old’s say to me, but the ‘I don’t love you’s’ hurt.”
‘My initial reaction was to text the teacher and ask if she could hold one for him. But then I thought, ‘No, you’d better not.’: Mom grapples with giving son special treatment
“And then it dawned on me: This. This is why moms are so exhausted.”
‘In truth, I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be (just) me anymore. I have found such comfort and safety in being a mother.’
“I was married young. I was pregnant soon after. I followed my husband’s career and livelihood. And all I keep hearing is: ‘Well, what are you going to make of this, Wendy?'”
‘The smell of putrid decay invaded my nostrils. I covered my nose, searching for the source of that smell. There, in the corner of the closet, sat a dark blue trash can.’: Mom recounts funny way she teaches her kids a lesson
“I briefly and calmly asked my kids some leading questions, tactically trying to prevent the lies.”