'Teen Mom' Star Has Motherhood All Wrong

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Clik here to view.Being a mother is hard, hard, hard, and no one knows this better than Teen Mom Kailyn Lowry. She is an immensely loving and involved parent to both her son Isaac with her ex-boyfriend and her newborn baby son Lincoln as well. And when her husband Javi tweeted out to the world his appreciation of his wife, the world sighed a collective "awwww."

It's really, really sweet.

But what he said? Is one of those things that gets under my mom skin. Here's his tweet:

Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs out there. Having a newborn I've noticed everything kail does for us. I try and keep her sane tho

He's totally right. It's hard to be a mom and it's really, really sweet of him to notice. Too few of us moms really get credit from our partners and kudos to Javi for "getting it." Those early months can be rough on dad, especially if mom is nursing. He can feel pretty pointless. As Javi says:

Appreciate everything you do! I don't know how you do it, but you find a way to continuously go above and beyond. I love you @KailLowry

Awwww. It IS insanely sweet that he appreciates Kailyn, and honestly, for many new moms, that appreciation is sorely lacking. We feel exhausted, physically and mentally drained, and yet many times, our partners don't get it, and if they do get it, they don't say it. So I am not knocking Javi one bit when I say this: Fatherhood SHOULD be just as hard.

When we say things like "motherhood is the hardest job in the world," it SOUNDS like a compliment when, in fact, it's a platitude. It's something people say to make themselves feel better. Parenthood is hard, but it's neither a "job" nor the sole responsibility of one person.

I once read an essay from a writer who said that looking at motherhood like a job is taking all the soul out of it. I agree wholeheartedly. Motherhood isn't something we get paid for. It isn't something where we have set hours and get to take an hour for lunch. Yes, it can feel like drudgery and it can be exhausting and stressful and overwhelming, but it can also be beautiful and charming and the most magnificent, loving thing we do. No "job" compares.

So, thank you to Javi for noticing how hard Kailyn is working. You are a rocking husband. But his loving tweet would have been enough. All we need is a little love and a little encouragement and a little "you are a great mom" once in a while.

Do you think motherhood is a "job"?

Image via Twitter

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