I Do Everything Like A Mother, And I Am Proud

Mothers are fierce, and whether they are trying to do a full grocery shop in 20 minutes flat without a list, or carrying a screaming toddler out of a movie, they know how to handle it like a badass. I do everything like a mother, and I own that shit.

I speak like a mother, loud and hard. I want you to hear me because I have a fucking voice about things that matter like politics, bullying, and the way a woman should be treated. Mothers are not meant to be silenced, shushed, or brushed aside because they are “just a mother.” All the mothers I know have a strong voice, and they fucking use it.

I throw like a mother because I am strong. I carried three babies around, sometimes two at a time. I scaled the side of a pool once when I was seven months pregnant because my 2-year-old was sinking to the bottom so fast I stopped breathing. I have carried five grocery bags in one hand while pushing around a stroller. I have rescued them from falling down the stairs with a few fingers. Mothers are the most powerful people I know.

I dress like a mother. I wear heels when the mood strikes, which is often. I can flush public toilets with those fuckers like nobody’s business. I wear yoga pants whenever and wherever the hell I want. I love my favorite Adidas T-shirt and sometimes wear it all day and to bed that night. I love getting dressed up in a little dress and feeling pretty but feel just as beautiful in my sweaty activewear. Mothers have their own individual style. They make no apologies for how they enter a room.

I do my hair like a mother. Sometimes it is thrown up in a messy bun because I have too much other shit to do. Sometimes I spend too much time and money on it because it matters to me. Anything that makes a mother feel like a better version of herself is worth it, no exceptions.

I swear like a mother. I drop fucks when I see fit, because sometimes it just feels right. I do it in front of my kids — they know mommy has a dirty mouth and they aren’t allowed to say those words until they are older. The words mothers don’t tolerate are hate, fat, ugly, stupid, or can’t.

I drink like a mother. I start out the day with caffeine — I take it any way I want. I am a combative bitch without it, and I make no apologizes for enjoying this simple pleasure that makes me a better mama. I drink alcohol at night when I want to. Sometimes it’s shared with other amazing mothers; sometimes I am drinking it by myself while watching reality TV. It helps me relax, and well, I just fucking like the taste of it.

I love like a mother — madly, passionately. My kids have lit a fire in me that will never stop burning. Women’s hearts change after they become mothers. They love so hard sometimes they can’t even describe it.

I clean like a mother. Sometimes my house looks amazing, every surface scrubbed and the linens fresh. Even if it only lasts for a few hours, it makes me happy. Sometimes I don’t have time to give a shit about what my house looks like because I am busy living my life. There are days when stains on the walls drive me bonkers and I scrub them immediately. There are times when I don’t even notice them. I have done yoga on my floor and had a nervous breakdown from all the dust and debris floating around me and rage-cleaned for two hours afterward. I have lay on the floor playing with my kids without seeing a speck of dirt.

So when someone says, “You do that like I mother, ” I think yes, yes I fucking do. Because mothers own their motherhood. We are proud, we have a voice, and we enjoy the small things like caffeine, wine and a good hairdresser. We dress however the fuck we want, and we run our ships in a way that suits our needs. And when others challenge us or our family, we know how to deal with it. Like a fucking mother.