16 Moms Share Shocking Parenting Secrets They're Too Afraid To Say Out Loud
bySteph Montgomery
If you ask most moms to tell you what it's like to be a mom, they'll probably limit their response to just, you know, the good parts. It’s natural to want to put your best foot forward, and as parents the last thing we want is to be judged or shamed. So we spend time trying to appear perfect, curating the best photos and applying the best filters to our lives. And we never, ever speak out truths. But there are parenting secrets moms are afraid to say out loud. Secrets we should, honestly, feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the world.
Because we don't talk honestly about motherhood, we're constantly second-guessing ourselves and our experiences. We don't want anyone to know we're not actively loving every moment of motherhood; we don't want people to know our choices are different than theirs and, as a result, might be deemed "wrong"; and we don't want to acknowledge that, yes, sometimes we have horrible parenting days that make us question why we decided to become moms in the first place. In other words, we don't want to be considered "bad moms."
The real secret that we all should be screaming from the rooftops is that motherhood is anything but perfect, and it's impossible to enjoy every second of it. We yell, we cry, and we put on a smile when we feel like screaming. We hide in the bathroom pretending to poop so we can have 10 minutes of peace. We supplement with formula, or don't even try to breastfeed, and we don't always buy organic. We sleep train, co-sleep, and drive the baby around the block at bedtime if it's necessary.
There are a million unspoken truths about motherhood; secrets us moms are carrying around with use very single day. Thankfully, these moms are willing to share them with us now: