Being a mother is hard work, #thatisall. Well, not really all but that sentiment feels overwhelmingly true. I could say “being a parent” instead of mother, but I am a woman, so let’s be real about what I mean: Being a woman is hard and even though I was a woman before I became a mother, I truly didn’t know that much about what being a woman was until I brought one into the world.
You have to look at everything differently when another human being escapes the security and familiarity of your womb and breathes the stale air of reality. Sure, you shelter them from day one, but since you know they will be on their own one day, you begin the long journey of preparing them for your arms to no longer surround them. Yes, from day 1. You want them to grow up to be strong, self-loving, self-respecting, and true to themselves (whatever that means as I strive for it myself) — but there is so much to share with them in the measly 18 or so years you have before they have rolled their last eyeball at your advice and taken off into the world. So damn much.
One of the pertinent bits of info that I originally shared with my bundle of joy is the need for not being labeled a slut at school.
You can read the rest of my post about my self-evaluation on xojane.com
I Am Unteaching My Daughter All of the Double Standards I Taught Her About Slut Shaming
