The Hardest Part of Being a Mother Is Not What I Thought

And that is why I respect mothers for doing it since time immemorial

“Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” (Photo: Oberholster Venita)

Being a mother is tough, and every parent has their own set of challenges to face. For some, it’s the sleepless nights and endless diaper changes. For others, it’s the constant juggling act of work and home life. For others, it’s dealing with the tantrums and mood swings of a toddler. And for yet others, it’s the emotional turmoil of dealing with a teenager.

For me, I thought breastfeeding was the most challenging part of parenting. It was tough, but it lasted only a year. Then I thought the sleepless nights were hard. But no, that stage also passed quickly with the breastfeeding challenges. Changing stinky diapers was hard, too. The changes in your body and in the relationship after the baby arrives were brutal, but you learn to live with it. But none of those things is as hard as cooking for your child every single day. It is by far one of the most difficult and overlooked aspects of being a mother.

Honestly, it’s overwhelming.

Cooking three meals a day for another person for at least 15 years of their life is exhausting just thinking about it. Cooking three times a day, every day of the week, all year long, breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not to mention…