PARENTING
Interviewing
Mama
After struggling with the ups and downs of
motherhood, Sophie Young launched Interviewing
Mama - a podcast where she interviews a different
mother each week and discusses their experiences.
Sophie shares her story
It’s a funny thing motherhood. Sometimes you feel like
you’re absolutely nailing it - like you’re a step ahead. The
laundry basket is empty, you’re zooming off to playdates
and classes, you’re on time for everything – you’re even
wearing matching underwear and buying organic avocados.
You are totally handling it, and life is wonderful.
But then you hit a bump in the road, and you’re suddenly left
wondering again just how you ever thought you could do this.
Life starts moving too quick, the broken sleep starts catching
up with you, and Jesus - where did this kid’s attitude come
from? The nights just got longer, and the mother load a whole
lot heavier. But the thing about mothers? They will still get up
and show up every single day - no matter what.
And although the mum guilt eats us alive every time we sit
on our phone when we could be playing, or when we spend
an extra minute in the bathroom just to bloody breathe - it is
okay. It is okay to sometimes just be an ‘okay’ mum. It is okay
to feel overwhelmed and to look forward to bedtime. it is okay
to not love every single part about motherhood because you
are absolutely and immensely in love with every single inch
of your child’s entire being. In all the chaos and doubt that
motherhood brings, you walk around each day with a piece of
your heart existing outside of your chest. That is a pretty big
deal.
Becoming a mum, I struggled with the rollercoaster. I wanted
to be the perfect mum. The mum that had clean hair and drank
green juice at 7am, who attended all the playgroups and who
definitely never swore in front of her child. Well, that went to shit.
I couldn’t understand how everyone else seemed to find this
mothering thing so easy ALL of the time - until I realised, I was
looking in the wrong places. I was setting myself unrealistic
expectations by following the wrong kind of people on social
media. It became important to me to surround myself with
the mother kind who share the real stresses and struggles of
motherhood, and to be a voice that did the same.
*DISCLAIMER - we are allowed to moan when things are
hard, and it means we are authentic and doesn’t mean we don’t
love our children - ok??
After turning my Instagram into an almost ‘honest parenting
blog’, and connecting with other amazing honest motherhood
bloggers I realised just how powerful sharing the ups and downs
could be for other mums who felt alone in their struggles. And
so - Interviewing Mama was born!
Interviewing Mama
I started my live Instagram show and podcast in February, where
I interview a different inspirational mother each week on their
real and raw motherhood experiences. The highs, the lows and
breaking the taboo of mums discussing their struggles. Episode
1 brought an interview with Hannah (@hannahlouisevans)
on which we spoke about her weaning journey and new baby
recipe e-book (Moons Meals), and her challenges facing first
time motherhood without her mother. Episode 2 was with Jess
(@jessicahayes), we spoke about breastfeeding, relationships
and the navigating of motherhood under the pressures
of a large audience. On Episode 3 I interviewed Tiffany
(@tiffanyhughes) about being a young solo mama and her
highs and lows of first-time motherhood. Episode 4 was with
Carly (@thefitmummytotheo) who is a personal trainer, and
pre / post-natal fitness advisor with an e-book on Diastasis
Recti (www.thefitmummy.co.uk). We spoke all about honest
parenting blogging, and her traumatic birth experience.
Episode 5 was a very personal one, I interviewed my mum on
her motherhood journey and the struggles she has faced and
overcame, and what it was like becoming a nana. •
Interviewing Mama is streamed live on Sophie’s Instagram
@sophiejaneyoung on Sunday’s at 3pm. You can also catch up on
Apple podcasts.
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