There are millions of fancy parenting books out there, just waiting for new moms to click "add to cart" in hopes of totally nailing this parenting gig. Yet ask any veteran parent and they'll tell you everything you need to know, for free: There's really no way to prepare, so don't even try.
Yes, motherhood is rewarding and fills your heart with love in a million unexpected ways, blah, blah, blah, but one thing it is not is easy, no matter how many books or articles filled with "expert advice" you stress-read right up until the due date. That's basically the number one rule of parenting.
One common (and probably not altogether unfair) assumption, though, is that celebrities are the exception to that rule. How hard can it be to raise your kids when your household staff boasts a nanny, a chauffeur, a team of housekeepers, and somebody in charge of making sure there aren't any stray pieces of crust on your toddler's sandwiches? Well, the fact is that plenty of Hollywood's elite know exactly how un-glamorous motherhood can be, because they choose to parent down here in the trenches with the rest of us — tantrums, toilet LEGOs, and all.
One of the most recent celebrity moms to show herself keeping it real on social media is Drew Barrymore.
Because there are few things more relatable to moms than totally neglecting to comb your hair or pluck your unibrow for weeks on end. Who has time to look in a mirror, anyway? We count ourselves lucky when we get enough time in the bathroom just to pee, so odds are that primping is out of the question.And then, when a mom finally does have time to get her roots and those face-ipillars handled at the salon?
She takes her daughter with her, because of course. As an extra bonus, though, I've now learned the have-the-stylist-wrap-your-kid's-hair-with-conditioner-to-keep-her-occupied trick! Thank you, Drew. That's a pretty sweet mom move.Jessica Biel knows all about sharing everything with your kids, too.
Because Lord knows, even if you do get something nice for yourself (like a trip to the spa, or a pair of $900 Manolo Blahniks), kids will be right there to make it their own. That's a pretty pricey dinosaur cave there, kiddo!The "sharing" of motherhood extends to activities, too, as actress Anna Faris can tell you.
But not sharing your own favorite activities, LOL. Most moms will be quick to point out that their own hobbies and interests got shelved for about eighteen years in favor of...train museums? Yup. Or the same episode of Paw Patrol on endless repeat, or every single verse of "The Wheels On the Bus" each time you get in the car, or whatever activity your kid has chosen as their fave. You just do it, as Faris says, even if it's the 223rd time (that day).Speaking of sharing, what about germs? Not even holidays are safe, as Busy Philipps points out in this festive post.
"Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like a trip to ER with a kid who woke up with strep throat," she reported on Instagram. True, and nothing says motherhood like dealing with an infectious disease while you have a house full of people waiting for you to serve them turkey. At least you can skip the fake smile if your face is covered by a surgical mask! All the other holidays are safe though, right? WRONG.Take Valentine's Day, for example.
Sarah Michelle Gellar's stash of gift bags is basically every mom's dining room table the day before a class party. After helping their kid stuff tissue paper into bags and painstakingly write 32 classmates' names onto those tiny cards, there isn't a mom alive who hasn't considered homeschooling.In just one photo, Pink demonstrated three major ways motherhood is tough.
One, being so hugely pregnant that you can't even stand upright long enough for your decaf to reheat in the microwave. Two, having to switch to decaf during pregnancy in the first place. And three, having to reheat your coffee every day because you never have enough uninterrupted minutes in the morning to drink it when it was hot!Of course, Olivia Wilde realizes (like the rest of us) that things don't get much easier once the baby comes!
Moms learn pretty quickly to take care of daily tasks with a little one in tow, usually toting our new little barnacle around on our hip. But have you ever tried folding a fitted sheet with one arm? Baby carriers and sarong wraps are definitely a new mom's BFFs.Reese Witherspoon gets really relatable with this photo.
Sure, her coffee table probably costs more than my whole house, but it also has a plate of untouched chicken nuggets on it so, samsies. Obviously though, there's nothing quite so mom-ish as needing a nap wherever you can get it...before you've even had a chance to get dressed for the day.Of course kids need their naps too, and Selma Blair illustrates what can happen if kids get even a teeny bit cranky.
I swear I can almost hear her son (in my kids' best whine voices) saying, "But I'm tired. Stairs are hard. Did you even bring snacks???" A million dollars says he asked her to carry him right after she snapped this pic. Still need convincing that some stars are just like us?Kristen Bell keeps it real with this tweet.
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