“My friends and I were supposed to have pre-Mother’s Day drinks. But my daughter got sick and the only doctor’s appointment was going to take 3 hours. So I can’t do Mommy Drinks now. Sometimes you need that time with your friends but when your kids are sick, all that goes out the window.”
Cori Murray ESSENCE Entertainment Editor and sometimes nurse to her 5-year-old daughter.
“I’m a working mom. I’m always on the go so it’s really hard not to give them just quality time, but quantity. I want to give them a lot more of my time and give them a good foundation and be there to help them realize their dreams.”
Michelle Ebanks, President of ESSENCE and rockstar mom to 12 and 13-year-old boys.
“In the morning, I can never get my kids to get dressed on time and it’s always a major fight in the morning to get anybody out of the door. So we’re always late because people don’t know how to put on their shoes anymore or they’ll wake up in a really bad mood.”
Yolanda Sangweni, ESSENCE.com Entertainment Editor and supermom to 6 and 8-year-old sons.
“It’s not getting him out of bed that’s the struggle, it’s getting him to go to bed. Because he wants to stay up and play.”
Rashida Morgan Brown Associate Art Director and mom to an active 2 year old.
“My daughter lives in a different state but I wish that we could spend more time together and it’s challenging. Our lifestyles change when your children become adults. She has her own thing and so do I. I’m just so grateful that my struggle is no more than that.”
Gwen Epps, Executive Assistant and mom to a perfect 30+ year-old daughter.
“I can’t get my son to focus on schoolwork. He’s in soccer and he can tell you anything about soccer but when you ask him an academic question, nothing. But with soccer he can tell you anything but how do I get him to do that with academics? The struggle is getting him to put school first before the ball.”
Jovanca Maitland-Shelton, Associate Special Events Director and mommy to an 11-year-old soccer junkie.
“My daughter will not stay in her bed. It’s a real problem. I try to push her out but I’m just too tired so I just let her stay. And she sleeps so bad! She takes over the bed!”
Cassandra Charles, Senior Director of Marketing and bed sharer with a 4 year old daughter.
“My son is 14 so moms are just not cool in general. A struggle is getting him to talk to me. Teenagers just think parents ask too many questions and we’re just trying to start conversations. I’m trying to build that conversational relationship with him but he’s like, ‘You ask too many questions.”
Ally Brown, Creative Director of Marketing and cool mom to a 14-year-old son.
“My daughter is nine months and everything goes in her mouth. Everything! She’ll find everything and it just scares me so much. As a first time mom you don’t want her to be touching anything! It freaks me out and it’s a struggle.”
Noella Charles ESSENCE Live show runner and mother a curious nine month old.
“I just never have enough time to spend with my daughter. She’s 16 and I feel like I only have two more years to spend with her before she’s focused on friends and travel.I just feel like I’m trying to balance work and time with my daughter.”
Barbara Rickets Executive Assistant and mom to a growing 16-year-old
