Moms have needed all the support they could get in the last year. So many different curveballs were thrown at moms as they learned how to do their usual household managing while keeping their families safe, getting their kids educated, and in many cases also working their regular jobs from home.
It's been truly exhausting, and moms have had to lean on one another to get through these difficult times. We've all heard time and time again that it takes a village, but this year we've really seen the village in action.
Here are some moms reflecting on how grateful they are to have had a village to lean on as they've navigated the past chaotic months.
The last year has been a challenge to every type of parent out there. The kinds of struggles that have presented themselves required us all to lean on one another to make things work, which in and of itself was difficult when we had to maintain certain physical distances. Moms everywhere found ways to work with friends and neighbors to make everyone's lives a little easier.
"I was nervous about starting a bubble with my neighbors. Our kids know each other better than us adults do, but I just went with it because what else was there?" one mom revealed.
"I couldn't drive myself crazy trying to work and entertain three kids. It works out that their three are close in age to our three and thanks to good weather, we were able to make it work easily a lot of the time."
Sometimes it's the little things, like the moms who can help keep you up to date with your kids' worlds.
"honestly i'm so grateful for my mom friends cause they know what's up," one mom shared on Twitter.
"like times have changed so much since we were kids that's my family is always like 'idk what that is' but my mom friends are always like yea that's this!"
Sometimes family helps, but most people find family more complicated than leaning on their mom friends.
"My mom watches my baby once a week so we can go on date night, or when I have a doctor's appointment," a mom shared on Reddit.
"I also do stroller walks with other newborn moms, and have a virtual mom group. I would definitely not be so well adjusted without these things."
Although mom friends are great when you have them, it can be hard for some moms to let people in. That's especially the case for the many who find their former friends are suddenly less interested in them.
"When I had my daughter I lost a lot of people who said they'd stick around," one mom wrote.
"But then the universe gave me my mom friends and their babies and my heart grew in ways I didn't know. Forever grateful for them."
When you are ready to make mom friends, you'll find that moms have a way of working with each other's kids around the group so that each mom can get a well-deserved break every now and then.
"Thankful for my 'Mom Squad.' You help with rides, logistics, advice…the list goes on & on," a mom shared.
"But most importantly, you keep me smiling & laughing on this crazy journey we call motherhood."
Sometimes, it just feels like life is a total wreck. You sit there stressing about what other people are thinking, especially knowing how judgmental some moms can be. Having a group that has your back is invaluable in those moments.
"Today while leaving the playground I realized my phone screen protector broke, cut my thumb pretty good on said break (small but bloody), and couldn’t find my car key. I felt bad getting caught up in my moment of crazy and not saying bye to the other moms," one mom tweeted.
"I texted them after and their responses made me so thankful for my village. There really is something shared in the playground-leaving chaos, and there’s SO MUCH to be said for the true grace of other moms. They get it."
For a newly single mom, her mom friends were a lifeboat during a rocky time.
"My husband and I separated in February 2020 and I had no idea how much life would change a few weeks later," one mom shared.
"I felt defeated before I even knew what to do, but my mom squad really helped me pull it together and figure it all out for me and my two boys."
"Aside from nurses and doctors, I think the hardest-working individuals this past year have been mothers," a friend of moms observed.
"I have watched all my mom friends bust their butts working full-time while momming simultaneously…like in the SAME moment."
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
