Motherhood, with all its beauty and joyful moments, is a tough gig that can really take a lot out of you. The already challenging journey, full of self-doubt and second-guessing, gets even harder when society piles on endless unrealistic expectations for moms. I swear on baby wraps, I’m not going to add to that list.
I totally get it if, as a mom, the last thing on your mind is what you’re wearing — and honestly, you don’t even have to be a mom to feel that way. Some days, your outfit just isn’t a priority, and that’s perfectly okay.
You absolutely deserve time to figure out which shoes go best with your midi skirt. What I’m saying is, the flip side—that moms can only wear certain clothes—is just as silly.
“A mom shouldn’t wear short skirts anymore!” Have you heard this before?
I honestly don’t see what having a child has to do with how much of my legs I show. It was fine before, but now it’s not? Did my womanhood change? Before kids, maybe I showed my legs hoping someone might want to start a family with me, but now that I’ve fulfilled that, should I just cover up? What’s the logic here? Can someone explain this to me?
And before anyone says, “But what will the kid think?” — I really hope my kid thinks that mom was comfortable in her own skin, loved her body, and taught them to love theirs too.
Also, if the kid I stayed up with all night, cut the crust off their jam sandwich, and comforted through the worst tantrums decides one day to judge my worth as a mom by the skirt I wore, then I definitely messed up somewhere. But it’s not in how I dress.
So thank you very much, but I’ll keep wearing what I love—whether it’s what I wear to work meetings or what makes me feel great on a date. Motherhood is my most important and beloved role, but it’s not the only one. Being a mom is a deep, unshakable part of who I am, but it’s just one slice of me.
Of course, when I can, I choose comfy clothes for the park, but that’s not a huge change. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t first see green grass when I had a child. I had clothes for longer walks or lying on the grass before, too.
So yes, I usually don’t show up at the playground in high-heeled sandals—most of the time. Actually, there was a time I came straight from a work event that required dressier clothes and didn’t have time to go home before picking up my kid from daycare. It was uncomfortable, but that only affected me. I made peace with moving a bit slower between slides if it meant we didn’t miss out on our outdoor playtime. If someone saw me and judged me for it, well, that says more about them than me.
Opening image: Anastasia Shuraeva/pexels.com
