If you were to ask 100 of us mums what being a mother meant to us, chances are we’d come back with 100 different answers.
But the common thread (aside from sheer exhaustion obvs) would definitely be that motherhood revolves around the unconditional love we have for our kids.
So with this in mind, we went and compiled a list of quotes from a host of strong, successful, kick-ass mamas – and we think they each sum up motherhood beautifully.
1. Anna Wintour, Vogue US Editor-in-Chief
“I think it’s very important for children to understand that women work and that it’s fulfilling and it doesn’t mean that they love you any less or care about you any less. You make the time! You go to the games and you go to the birthday parties and you’re there for the times that count.”
2. Sheryl Sandberg – Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org
“When a couple announces that they are having a baby, everyone says ‘Congratulations!’ to the man and ‘Congratulations! What are you planning on doing about work?’ to the woman. The broadly held assumption is that raising their child is her responsibility. In more than thirty years, this perception has changed very little.”
3. Adele – singer
“I had no idea. It is hard but it's phenomenal. It's the greatest thing I ever did. He makes me be a d**khead, and he makes me feel young and there's nothing more grounding than a kid kicking off and refusing to do what you're asking of them. It used to be that my own world revolved around me, but now it has to revolve around him.”
4. Michelle Obama – FLOTUS
“For me, being a mother made me a better professional, because coming home every night to my girls reminded me what I was working for,” she said. “And being a professional made me a better mother, because by pursuing my dreams, I was modelling for my girls how to pursue their dreams.”
5. Jessica Alba – actor and businesswoman
“I think the biggest thing is that what works for you, or what works for your friend, isn’t going to work for everyone… there is no right or wrong. There’s no cookie-cutter way of going about it. I think we as women – and as moms – need to show younger girls that we support each other no matter what and to try and not be so judgmental.”
6. Gloria Steinem – journalist and political activist
“There is no such thing as Superwoman. You can't have everything if you do everything.”
7. Marion Cotillard – actor
“I've never been more exhausted. But I've never had more energy. This is the paradox of being happy. That's where it comes from.”
8. Jodie Foster – actor and filmmaker
“There is absolutely no sort of reward or acknowledgment for this – except for the intangible of my kids growing up to be wonderful people.”
