Motherhood Manifesto 

You cannot do it all, all of the time. Learn what is most important to you and use this as your compass for every decision. Every day you will have to make choices as to how you spend your time – make the choices based on your values, not on what you ‘should’ be doing. There will always be trade-offs. Guard your time, attention and energy to enable you to enjoy rather than simply get through each day.  

Ask for help, say yes to offers of support, and be proactive in your mental health. Motherhood has some deeply challenging moments and phases.

Be vulnerable with other mums, connect with people and do not wait until things are bad to get help from a professional. 

Finally, amazing woman, you have so much love to give. You must send that love inward, too. You are so important, and there is no perfect way to be a mother. Start with love and understanding for yourself, and then from there, you can find the way to parent, aligned with what is most important to you and your family. 

Belinda Haan is a writer, advocate, and facilitator focused on re-writing the motherhood experience. She uniquely blends the best of psychology and heart to support women in their transition into motherhood. She is the founder of The Motherhood Gathering, which provides a loving container for women as they navigate the joy and full catastrophe of early motherhood. You can follow Belinda on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.