Being a parent is tiring. Being a mom is downright grueling.
Photo: iStockphoto
Ask any mom and they'll give it to ya straight: motherhood is EXHAUSTING.
Not only are you dealing with sleepless nights and thousands of diaper changes (though it feels like millions), but you're doing all that while recovering from birth and fielding all kinds of "helpful advice" from friends, family and strangers on the street. And don't even get us started on the special kind of hell that moms struggling with breastfeeding go through.
In short, moms are basically superhuman and don't always know how to ask for help. But hey husbands of the world, here's a tip: your wife may seem like Wonder Woman, but she isn't. She needs your help and nothing sums it all up as well as this open letter that mom-of-two Celeste Erlach wrote to her hubby and shared on the Breastfeeding Mama Talk Facebook page. Take a look (it's kind of long but totally worth the read):
This letter hurts our hearts because we all know that many moms struggle like this even when social media makes everyone look like they've got it all down. You can practically hear the desperation in her voice, but she totally gets a high five for being able to swallow her pride and demand the support she needs.
According to a recent study, moms work about 98 hours a week (that's the equivalent of having two full-time jobs!) when you include everything they do around the house. Again, ask any mom what they think about this study and they'll probably roll their eyes and say, "Thank you, Captain Obvious."
So here's to the moms who have to do it all on their own (lookin' at you single moms out there, y'all are goddesses), and here's to the dads who are finally stepping up and doing something to even out the workload. May the other dads out there follow in their footsteps (sooner rather than later) and may the struggling moms out there find the courage to speak up and ask for help before they reach the end of their rope.
Read more: How to get your partner to (actually) do more chores The ultimate rookie dad guide to newborns
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Kevin is an associate editor for Canadian Business in Toronto, Ontario. More of their work can be found in MSN Canada, Chatelaine and This Magazine.