Being a parent is hard. Every mom and dad out there will tell you that, even though it's very rewarding, having kids isn't easy.
If parenting wasn't challenging enough, now we have to add social media to the mix. On Instagram and Facebook, it seems as though every parent has it totally together. Their kids are dressed perfectly, their houses are spotless, and their marriages are perfect.
Obviously, that's not the reality for most parents. Many moms and dads struggle to make it look like they know what they're doing — and they constantly feel inadequate because of what they see online.
On top of that, many moms are shamed for their actions. Even celebrities like Khloé Kardashian and Gabrielle Union are victims of mommy shaming.
So one mom is fighting back against the idea of "perfect parents." Sia, a fitness blogger and mom of two, recently took to Instagram to write a sweet note to all the "hot mess moms" out there.
She and her husband got married on October 15, 2012. They now have two beautiful children.
Recently, Sia took to Instagram to write about the challenges of being a parent. She wrote:
“Hi, I’m Sia and I’m a Hot Mess Mom.”
“What is up with this crazy idea that moms have to be made up, have a spotless house, have dinner on the table at 5pm, and raise well behaved, organically fed kids? Because of this unrealistic stigma, we are left feeling like a hot mess. Cue mom-shaming.”
“Confessions:
I cried 3 or 4 times last week after staying home with my sick kids.
Coffee isn’t just my morning beverage, sometimes it’s 2/3 of my meals.”
“The laundry pile hardly ever moves and sometimes I will grab clean clothes from the dryer because I haven’t folded it yet.
My son asked me why I have hair under my armpits because I forgot to shave for last week.”
“Depression and anxiety tell me that I’m not a good mother, but I take pills daily to fight this.
Sometimes my kids eat popsicles at 8am because it’s not worth the battle.
My sink is starting to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.”
“Before pregnancy, I told myself my kids would never have screen time. HA.
Sometimes I’m just too tired to even think about sex with my husband.”
“My house looks like I’m losing a game of Jumanji.
I suck at balancing work and family life.
Ive been wearing the same leggings for so many days, I’ve lost count.”
“More often than not, I feel like I’m failing as a mom. But you know what? Kids won’t remember that big stack of dishes or the dirty floors but they WILL remember you giving a damn about them making sure they’re fed-even if it’s just macaroni and chicken nuggets-warm, safe, wanted, and content.”
“Cheers to all the hot mess moms who don’t have their sh*t together, but are still trying.”
What a powerful post! Other parents immediately related to Sia’s message.
One mom wrote: "I have tears in my eyes reading this. Been feeling like a really crap mum lately. Thanks for allowing yourself to be vulnerable and honest and real."
And another mom said: "Thank you for your effort to break that stigma. Thank you for being strong and brave to share what is normal so other moms can be weak, can be real. Raising your children to reality and not [society's] expectation is great and will help them and all their surroundings in the future."
Parenting isn't easy for anyone, but it's always great to see moms being vulnerable. Sia may feel like a "hot mess mom," but in our eyes, she's superwoman.
