Moms don’t have to turn boring

I love this piece from Hillary Frank, author and creator of the wonderful parenting podcast The Longest Shortest Time, about how moms don’t have to turn boring. All women are aware that motherhood is going to change their lives. We know that having kids makes it harder to go out with friends and get work done and pursue hobbies. But what I don’t think most women are aware of (or at least, I wasn’t) is how motherhood can fundamentally change your sense of who you are. This is in part because many mothers stop engaging in the rewarding activities that previously defined them. I often talk with mothers about things they can do to connect with their old “non-boring” selves. (I should note that I walked the walk here too: last year I took singing lessons, in an effort to feel like myself again. And it worked.)