Motherhood is not all rainbows and butterflies. Being a mom has its struggles and challenges too and one mother and photographer from Indiana gives a raw example of what motherhood is really like.
Giedre Gomes of Cedar Lake, Indiana, used her skills with the camera to capture some of the situations that moms everywhere find themselves in with their children. In her photo series aptly titled Mother's Day, the mother of two boys shared images of the struggles of being a mother.
The Other Side Of Motherhood
In an interview with Pop Sugar, Gomes admitted that she always wanted to show the other side of motherhood. Aside from the portrait of a happy and loving mother, she wanted to show how a mom goes about her everyday life, her daily routine, in the company of her kids.
"I always have crazy ideas in my head that keep me from sleeping till I make them happen, and this one was one of them. .. I knew I wanted to show a mother butt-naked on the toilet with no privacy," Gomes said.
Gomes asked for willing models through Facebook and her first photo shows her neighbor Jamie, a mom-of-three, peeing without privacy.
The Struggles Of Motherhood
Motherhood is a lot of things. It means being your kids' entertainer, doing the never-ending laundry, never being able to sleep in, and not taking a shower in peace. For breastfeeding moms, it is a juggle to do house chores while feeding a toddler.
Shopping is never the same for those with and without kids. There is the chaos and yelling that happens when mothers bring their kids to buy books or toys. The only time moms get some "me" time at home is after they have tucked the kids to bed. They can enjoy a drink of wine, catch up on a book, or have the toilet all to themselves.
"Everyone talks about how special motherhood is and how the bond shared with a child is unlike any other. It's a magical journey that is both rewarding and satisfying, and I couldn't agree more. I absolutely love being a mom; it's the best job in the world. But motherhood is not always all rainbows and butterflies," Gomes said.
Gomes said that she also hopes her photos would shed light on the misconception about stay-at-home moms. She wanted to show that they do not sleep all day because they do not have to go out to work. Gomes said that being a stay-at-home mom is also hard work, even her husband agrees that she has a harder job than he does.
