Although exciting and fulfilling, life with kids may also be somewhat miserable at times. It's filthy, sticky, and noisy, and on the tough days, it might feel like you're doing everything wrong alone and wondering when your kids will ever be normal, functioning adults. Moms know, logically, that we all struggle, but the majority of those struggles occur in private, where no one will ever see them — unless you're a famous mom who has chosen to share all of your mom fails with the rest of us.
Every new stage comes with a learning curve the size of Mount Everest, making it easy to feel like you're failing. Examples include up-the-back diaper explosions, restless nights, toddler tantrums, and mood swings in older children. We appreciate it therefore when celeb mothers like Chrissy Teigen, Gabrielle Union, and Jennifer Garner maintain their authenticity and sincerity on social media. Sharing the negative experiences as well as the positive ones helps us feel less like failures and more like we can give our own children a fighting shot.
We always value it when famous people are open about what parenthood means to them. So let's give a shout-out to the 16 famous mothers that are listed below for being honest!
#1 Carrie Underwood
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Being a celebrity working mom entails both struggles that are common to all working mothers and some that are specific to celebrities.
Carrie Underwood claims to have considered how her children will be affected by the fame that comes with her career "still frequently questions whether treating him fairly. Is my existence just to him?"
#2 Pink
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Pink, a singer, spoke for many mothers when she said that she put "way too much pressure on myself, I think we all do. I don't know, we put that on ourselves, that is how we mom now." That seems a bit too true, Pink!
#3 Megan Fox
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We value Megan Fox's perspective on being a working mom because she recognizes that some of the challenges we face are structural, i.e., that workplaces aren't always conducive to moms' success. That means Hollywood for Megan. Kelly Clarkson was informed by her that Hollywood is "not adapted to women and us actually having lives and being moms."
#4 Beyoncé
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Beyoncé is a multitalented artist who also works as an actress, businesswoman, and visionary. Her most trying position, though? Being a mother, in her opinion. "I think the most stressful thing for me is balancing work and life. Making sure I am present for my kids — dropping Blue off at school, taking Rumi and Sir to their activities, making time for date nights with my husband, and being home in time to have dinner with my family — all while running a company can be challenging," she told Elle. "Juggling all of those roles can be stressful, but I think that's life for any working mom."
#5 Jessica Alba
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The ability to prioritize self-care and not feel guilty about having divided attention at times can be challenging for working mothers. Jessica Alba offers the following advice to other working mothers: "Don't be hard on yourself. Doing your best to be present wherever you are is what's important. Make time to eat healthy and stay active."
#6 Bethenny Frankel
Source: bethennyfrankel
Bethenny Frankel, a businesswoman and former Housewives of New York City star, is outspoken on the value of maintaining her identity as a working mother. "I am as much a mom as I am a businesswoman — and vice-versa," she previously told Business Insider. We appreciate the reminder that it's okay to continue valuing both the parts of ourselves that love being moms and the parts that love working.
#7 Zoe Saldana
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Marvel movie actress and mom of three Zoe Saldana was frank in 2015 about the fact that being a working mother frequently involves both working and being able to pay the bills. She stated that returning to work after having twins was "As long as your work doesn't suffer, she's "quite sure that every parent, not just every mom," would take time off. However, we must pay our expenses, and in the end, I believe it is the best example we can give to our kids."
#8 Reese Witherspoon
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Reese Witherspoon, an actress, believes that being a working mother is all about setting a good example for her children, something she learned from her own mother. She told Time, "My mom worked, and I think it's good for kids to see women working and being successful," she told Time. "I think it's going to make them hard workers because they see that I don't get much sleep. But I love what I do. I want them to grow up with passion. This is the one life you get, and you have to live it to the very end."
#9 Kim Kardashian
Source: kimkardashian
With four children, her clothing line, and her ambition to practice law, Kim Kardashian has a lot on her plate. Her secret to juggling it all as a working parent is to be "more selective and work on projects that are meaningful" in order to maximize her family time.
#10 Serena Williams
Source: serenawilliams
Serena Williams is the greatest tennis player ever, but she also loves her daughter Olympia dearly. She openly admitted in 2018 that she occasionally suffers from the widespread perception that she isn't a good enough mother. "It's totally normal to feel like I'm not doing enough for my baby," she wrote on Instagram. "We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I'm trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means I'm not around as much as I would like to be."
She went on to say: "Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes." It's official: We want Serena Williams to be that mom friend we can always call for a pick-me-up.
#11 Amy Poehler
Source: Getty Images
Celebrity working parent Amy Poehler has openly discussed how important assistance from a nanny is to her ability to continue working. She has also discussed being a mother as a decision that is just as legitimate as being at home. We adore the philosophy she espouses in this passage: "I have always had a job, so when I had my two children I didn't assume I would stop working. I slowed down, which I was happy to do. I was grateful that I could. Most can't. However, I had no plans of being a full-time stay-at-home mother. This is not to say I don't think being a stay-at-home mother is not a job. It certainly is. It's just not for me. Remember my motto, 'Good for you, not for me.'"
#12 Jennifer Garner
Source: jennifer.garner
Jennifer Garner is one of the celebrity mothers who seem to be the most normal. She shares our frustration with the mommy wars, including the criticism of working mothers, just like the rest of us. She concluded by saying: "I will tell you what I can't abide by — women criticizing other women and mothers criticizing other mothers. It just makes me crazy, whether it's between staying at home, going to work, or how long you breastfeed if you use formula. I feel like we should just assume everyone is doing the best they can. Women should take care of each other, not tear each other down."
#13 Debra Messing
Source: therealdebramessing
According to Debra Messing, part of managing it all as a working mom is setting reasonable goals and boundaries. "Knowing your limitations is important. It took me a long time, but now I have a pretty good idea of how many hours I can work on a TV show and still feel like I'm able to be present when I get home."
#14 Tina Fey
Source: WireImage
We manage to get by each day by keeping everything in the air, but occasionally it just feels difficult. Tina Fey can empathize. "I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you're just thinking, 'This is impossible — oh, this is impossible.' And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible."
#15 Mindy Kaling
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Working mothers sometimes find it difficult to discuss how having a successful profession might take up a lot of time and possibly lead to having children later in life. Mindy Kaling has been transparent about this, stating in a W interview that having her first child "a little bit later" in her career meant having more control to be able to change her schedule and carve out more time with her child.
#16 Faith Hill
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The word "Working" may come first when we talk about working mothers, the country singer Faith Hill said: "Before, my career came first. All I had to think about was myself. Now my children prevail. It doesn't mean my career is less important; I just have to position things differently."