HOT TAKES
Here’s my hot takes!
• Screen free parenting is a luxery, some moms are in survival mode! I don’t have my son watch tv but I do put it on for him as a background noise. He listens to Mickey Mouse clubhouse in the morning in German! Why? Well it’s because he can be very impatient when I’m preparing his milk and he has a cry that the pitch is just right that it’s hard on your ears. Now I love him to death and I swore he would never be on screens but if it’s used as a tool in moderation it can be used successfully! Us moms are just trying to survive these newborn and infant trenches.
• Having a village matters and we are not ment to do it alone! In fact my husband has been a rock my entire postpartum experience. Now with that being said being a new mom creates a new amount of guilt and stress that you don’t understand unless you are a mom so when a mother add rules it’s important to just respect them! The more the village shows they care about the mother and are there for her the easier it is for everyone and from my experience helps the mother trust herself and others more with their new baby. People and the village need to understand she just grew a human for 9 months and it’s her time to bond with her child. Everyone will have a moment but give the new mother some grace and help with the more tedious tasks like dinner or dishes. It can make a difference to her in the long run!
• Not everything needs to be aesthetic! Sometimes just showing your surviving and your living is so much better because having a baby is not an aesthetic job. Feel free to make moments feel aesthetic but don’t overwhelm yourself into making everything need to be perfect. This is where I struggle the most at but I’m working on it.
• If your baby is celebrating their first holidays you don’t need to pass your baby around like hot potato if you don’t want to. I did this during Thanksgiving even though I was comfortable with it and I ended up crying because I got no pictures of just my family with our new baby but everyone else did. It broke my heart because I wanted to spend my child’s first holiday with him and holding him. I’m definitely not letting anyone else hold him during Christmas because I want to make the memory of my sons first Christmas and not watch it be made around me. It’s ok.
• Being a SAHM is still considered a full time job but without the benefits. You’re taking care of another person. If daycare workers who watch baby’s is considered a job then watching your own child is the same thing. The only difference is one is multiple children and one is your own children. You still need to make bottles, clean them, worry about the house, do activities, work in development. Regardless if the baby looks easy I promise you looks are deceiving even with babies.
These are some of my mom hot takes, which ones do you agree with or disagree with and why?
#hottakes #asklemon8🍋 #unfiltered #2025mindset #Lemon8Diary @letschat
Navigating the early stages of motherhood is a unique and deeply personal experience, often filled with conflicting advice and high expectations. The concept of screen-free parenting, while idealized by many, is realistically a privilege not afforded to all mothers. For many, using screens—in moderation and intentionally—as a calming or educational tool can be a practical survival strategy rather than a luxury. For instance, playing familiar shows such as "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" in a different language can both soothe impatient infants and stimulate language learning. The value of a support system, or "having a village," cannot be overstated. Postpartum is a period marked by emotional, physical, and social adjustments where the presence of empathetic partners, family members, and friends offering practical help can uplift a mother's confidence and reduce feelings of isolation. Respecting a new mother’s boundaries and parenting choices is vital to fostering trust and nurturing her well-being. In addition, the relentless pursuit of aesthetic perfection in documenting motherhood moments can be overwhelming and detrimental. Motherhood, especially with newborns, is raw, exhausting, and often chaotic—embracing this reality and valuing authentic survival over polished appearances can enhance emotional health. Cherishing moments as they are, without pressure to curate an idealized image, is empowering. Furthermore, setting boundaries around family interactions during a baby’s first holidays is crucial. It’s perfectly valid for mothers to choose when and how their baby is held or passed around to preserve intimate and meaningful memories. This respect for space not only honors the mother’s needs but can improve her emotional experience during milestone events. Lastly, recognizing that being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) equates to a full-time job without traditional benefits reframes motherhood. The daily duties—feeding, cleaning, playtime, and nurturing development—are labor-intensive and demanding, deserving recognition and respect similar to paid caregiving professions. Acknowledging these perspectives helps normalize the challenges of early motherhood and promotes a supportive, compassionate community where mothers can share their truths without judgment.
