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in Blog on May 12, 2018 by Sarah Powers

Is Motherhood The Hardest Job In The World?

This essay originally appeared in our monthly newsletter for The Mom Hour podcast. To receive our emails, subscribe here.

People like to say that motherhood is the most important job in the world. I get where they’re coming from on this, but to be honest it’s a sentiment that has never landed well with me.

First of all, it has an air of exclusivity, implying that those who cannot or choose not to be parents are shut out from the chance to pursue the highest calling. Second, I am pretty sure it’s inaccurate, because I can think of a few jobs of equal or greater importance to motherhood (air traffic control, election tampering investigators, and first responders come to mind). And finally, calling motherhood a “job” suggests that we can take it or leave it, be great or dismal at it, and, most absurdly, that the work involved garners wages. Which, yeah, no. Sticky kisses and handmade cards are amazing, but they don’t pay the bills.

Motherhood is, more accurately, a life-altering experience. It’s not a job, it’s a game-changer. But unlike other transformative episodes—seeing Shakespeare performed for the first time, the avocado toast at Zinc in Laguna Beach, every scene between Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock—motherhood isn’t a self-contained event from which you emerge, blinking and altered, ready to get back to the business of life. It keeps happening to you. It keeps changing you.

Motherhood isn’t one life-altering experience; it’s thousands. It’s a lighting bolt that strikes in the same place again and again. It keeps demanding that you right-size your expectations, your future plans, and your pants size. And it never, ever stops.

If you’re a newer mom, this isn’t meant to frighten you. You have already weathered the shock of childbirth or adoption, you survived (or are surviving) the postpartum adjustment period, and even if this is your first Mother’s Day as mom, I’m willing to bet that you feel that strange mixture of humility and empowerment that accompanies a worthy slog through hard stuff. You already know this emotional cocktail well (and you’re doing great, by the way); I’m just here to tell you it’s one you’ll taste more than once.

On the podcast we remind you a lot to hang in there, that things get easier with time. But I’m not sure if the circumstances themselves actually get easier (Less pukey? Definitely. Easier? Jury’s out.) or if, as more seasoned moms, we just get better at feeling like the rug got pulled out from under us.

And here’s the thing I’m thinking about this Mother’s Day. If motherhood requires our permission to be broken open and ever-changed, if it’s less “most important job in the world” and more “longest personality test you’ll ever take,” then in a wonderful way the pressure’s off to be the Best Mom Ever. It’s impossible to be terrible at something whose only measurement of success is a willingness to evolve. You win at motherhood just by showing up, getting kicked around once in a while, and showing up again. And I can’t think of a job in the world that lets you do that.

Happy Mother’s Day, friends. Would love to hear what you’re thinking about today Comment below and say hello!

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Filed Under: Blog

About Sarah Powers

Sarah Powers is co-host and Executive Producer of The Mom Hour podcast. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her husband and three kids, ages 9, 11, and 13.

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Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is stil Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is still going strong after eight years, 644 episodes, and more than 15 Million listens! Click the subscribe links in our bio or ask your smart speaker to "play the latest episode of The Mom Hour podcast".

New episodes release every Tuesday and alternating Sundays all year round. Our archives have conversations about every stage of parenting from before-baby through launching young adults - and every aspect of motherhood, too.

#podcast #podcastformoms #mompodcast #parentingpodcast #mommypodcast #mamapodcast #womenpodcasters #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #themomhour #motherhood
Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podv Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podversary? Birthcast? No matter how you slice it, The Mom Hour turns EIGHT years old on March 19!

Want to totally make our day? Leave a comment that tells us - in life milestones - how long you've been listening (i.e., "the baby I was pregnant with when I found you guys is now in kindergarten" OR "I have a middle schooler who was in preschool when I started listening" OR "I was on leave with my first when I discovered the podcast; now I have four kids!")

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-M &S
Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor ro Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor roundup, where we thank our partners and remind you of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. Remember, when you check out our sponsors and use our links + codes, it helps support our show. Thank you!

We also collect ALL our active promo codes in our email newsletter - which is full of our latest episodes and blog posts, personal updates, community news, and more. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today.

Shoutout to our NEW partner:
💰 @fearlessfinance ($50 off your 1st meeting!)

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! It isn't always easy to appreciate t New episode!

It isn't always easy to appreciate the mundane tasks of our daily lives, or to see the glass half-full when something goes awry. Inspired by yet another social media trend that had us scratching our heads at first (and then reflecting in spite of our forty-something selves), today Meagan and Sarah talk about situations from our own lives where we romanticized the hard stuff to get by.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you g If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you give them a theme? On the blog this week @hopefulsmiles makes a case for themed Easter baskets helping to simplify shopping, avoid clutter, and stay on budget.

Check out Sandy’s ideas for themed Easter baskets by clicking this image at the link in our bio - she's got over 35 different gift ideas listed!

#easter2023 #easterbasketfillers #eastergiftideas #themedeasterbasket #giftsfortoddlers #giftsforpreschoolers #giftsfortweens #giftsforkids #eastergiftguide #eastertips #easterwithkids
"As a mom you’ve been building a youth sports co "As a mom you’ve been building a youth sports coaching resume for years," writes @twinningtheweekend on the blog this week, "You just didn’t know it."

🥎  Through potty training, you’ve shown incredible determination.
⚽  Sibling rivalry has made you the ultimate expert in team dynamics. 
🏀  You’ve displayed grit in the face of a stomach bug. 
🏐  Organizational skills? You keep track of all 47 of the elementary school’s dress-up days.
🥎  You’ve developed patience as your child has figured out zippers.
⚽  You are not easily intimated…hello science projects and fractions. 
🏀  You have a keen eye for what motivates your child. (Hint…it’s snacks and Bluey.)
🏐  Toddler temper tantrums are no match for your perseverance.
🥎  You folded 16 loads of laundry with a (mostly) positive attitude.
⚽  Multitasking? That’s your specialty. 

Raise your hand if you've coached a youth sports team as a mom! And click this image at the link in our bio to read Jennifer's tips for making it less time-consuming and stressful than you might think!

#youthsports #sportsmom #littleleague #littleleaguemom #girlsinsports #littleleaguemom #soccermom #baseballmom #coachmom
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
This week's podcast episode (out Tuesday!) is abou This week's podcast episode (out Tuesday!) is about worry. The worries we have in common, the ones that start to interfere with our daily lives and need addressing, the really specific ones and the more general and exisential ones. One thing we both know about worries is that silence fuels their festering.

If you're worried about something right now, feel free to share. Maybe someone else can offer a "oh, me too!" or send a virtual hug. Maybe you can do the same for someone else. And if your worries feel too tender to share specifically, feel free to just drop a 🙋‍♀️ and know you're not alone.

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