You probably won’t find a greater inspiration on the internet than TED Talks for moms.
Unless, of course, you’re into Pinterest quotes.
Sometimes, when you feel like you’re wallowing in the depths of motherhood, it’s helpful to hear similar struggles direct from other women – and these women have stories to tell!
What are TEDTalks?
TED (TED stands for Technology, Education and Design) was started in 1984 as a conference and quickly grew into a global event where individuals share their knowledge through short talks and presentations.
And the subject matter isn’t limited to hardcore academic topics. Many mothers have taken the TED stage to share not only their knowledge and expertise but their experiences and feelings as well.
These videos are super short, making it easy for busy moms to really take the time to listen to what these moms are saying.
So if you need a bit of uplifting when it comes to your mom life, check out these inspirational TED Talks for moms:
1. Jennifer Senior – For Parents, Happiness is a Very High Bar
From TED: The parenting section of the bookstore is overwhelming — it’s “a giant, candy-colored monument to our collective panic,” as writer Jennifer Senior puts it. Why is parenthood filled with so much anxiety? Because the goal of modern, middle-class parents — to raise happy children — is so elusive. In this honest talk, Senior offers some kinder and more achievable aims.
2. Andrea Jansen – The Perfect Mother Needs To Go
From TED: Women like to think we can do and have it all – until we have kids and realize: we actually can’t. While we might be able to compete in the business world – while still juggling a household, a relationship and the needs of our children – the threshold of what is thought to be “a good mother” is unattainable. Chasing perfection in a job we literally take on from one second to another, most of us feel like failures at some point. However, by admitting this and addressing it openly, we can take pressure off ourselves and each other. This is what I have been doing with Any Working Mom for the past two years, slowly trying to change the expectations we put on ourselves when we enter “Motherhood” and giving thousands of women their sanity and confidence back.
3. Sherry Ziegler – Why Moms Are Miserable
From TED: Sheryl Ziegler shares what mothers need in their lives in order to experience happiness and help prevent loneliness and depression. The power of social connection and friendships will be explored as a key component to a mother’s well being and quality of life. Dr. Sheryl Ziegler is a doctor of psychology specializing in children and families. She founded a group private practice over a decade ago in Denver, Colorado. Over the course of her practice, Dr. Ziegler has led thousands of face-to-face sessions focused on burnout in motherhood and its related issues including anxiety, depression, and divorce.
4. Kendra Estle – The BS of Motherhood
From TED: Motherhood isn’t always a fulfilling role, filled with joy and a nurturing spirit—it can often be an isolating, exhausting responsibility, as Kendra Estle argues in this refreshing perspective on motherhood. However, social media might provide a much-needed space for mothers feeling dissatisfaction–all around the world–to come together in solidarity.
5. Diana Spaldin – What If We Nurtured Moms?
From TED: In her talk, Diana Spalding shares the devastating consequences that happen when our society does not take care of mothers—and an incredibly simple way to start fixing it. Diana Spalding, midwife and mother of three, believes we all have a job to do on this earth—hers is to help women feel powerful. Diana is the Digital Education Editor at Motherly, the founder of Gathered Birth, and wrote The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama (April, 2020).
6. Heather Chauvin – Dying to Be a Good Mother
From TED: What if it was possible to wake up feeling energized and fall asleep feeling content? What if you felt like you were living and not simply surviving your day-to-day life? Life is like prepping for a really long road trip: the first thing you do is look at the gas gauge and judge how far you can get until it’s time to fill up again. You drive to the nearest gas station and fill up because you know you have a ways to go. So why are we willing to fill our car for a long road trip but we’re not willing to do this in our journey through motherhood, with our bodies, our mind and our soul? We expect ourselves to go through this journey called life never once considering, how full is our tank?
7. Yifat Susskin – In Uncertain Times, Think Like a Mother
From TED: There’s a simple and powerful way to confront the world’s most pressing crises, says women’s rights activist Yifat Susskind: think like a mother. As she puts it: “When you think like a mother, you prioritize the needs of the many, not the whims of the few.” Follow along as she shares moving stories of people around the world who embody this mindset — and shows how it can also help you see beyond suffering and act to build a better world.
8. Brene Brown – The Power of Vulnerability
From TED: Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.
9. Katherine Wintsch – Unmasking Motherhood
From TED: Katherine is a nationally recognized expert on the topic of modern motherhood. The majority of her expertise comes from studying the passion & pain points of mothers around the world – the rest is accumulated from a little trial and lots of error while raising her own two rambunctious kids.
10. Sue Klebold – My Son Was a Columbine Shooter. This is My Story.
From TED: Sue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters who committed the Columbine High School massacre, murdering 12 students and a teacher. She’s spent years excavating every detail of her family life, trying to understand what she could have done to prevent her son’s violence. In this difficult, jarring talk, Klebold explores the intersection between mental health and violence, advocating for parents and professionals to continue to examine the link between suicidal and homicidal thinking.
Feel Inspired?
Sometimes all it takes to hear someone speak about your struggles to help you validate the challenges of being a mother and put everything into perspective.
Hopefully, these videos have inspired you not only to try and reach your potential as a mother but to understand that you are not alone!
While struggling as a mother shouldn’t be considered “normal”, it certainly is common and there are so many women out there who can empathize with your challenges.
