Lauren Phillips: On Single Motherhood and Embracing Your Village
Athlete and single working mom of two Lauren Phillips knows that balance can feel impossible some days. She chats with us about her experience as a new mom both in the US and in Canada, the importance of remembering our priorities when it comes to our precious time with our children, and how she embraces just how important it is to surround yourself with a village of other mothers.
Lauren, tell us about you:
I am a working single mom of two incredible children. We live in Maine where we love the outdoors and being with our friends and family as much as possible. My career has been mostly in product merchandising, but over the last three years I have been focused on partnerships & collaborations in the sports industry. I love being active and doing anything outside. I have a passion for baking and healthy cooking. I am a former college athlete turned marathon runner turned mom, focused on functional fitness and movement.
What did becoming a mom look like for you?
It was a dream come true. I have loved children for as long as I can remember. I never dreamed of my wedding dress or wedding, I dreamed of my children and being a mom. My daughter was born in Canada while I was working at Lululemon’s head office, so I was lucky to have a one year maternity leave to fully embrace the recovery and connection to my baby. I raised my daughter around a big group of other women who were also on maternity leave. It was this beautiful village of women supporting each other and figuring out first time motherhood together.
How does Matrescence’s Mission to “mother the mother” resonate with you as a mom?
Deeply. Mothers hold society together and have the weight of the world on them, but who is taking care of their needs? This is something I have felt especially deeply now being a single mom. What is interesting, is that I’ve found that who “mothers the mother” is actually....other mothers! My mom friends are my safe space, my strength and give me peace in my struggles.
In what ways do you find wellness in your day? Do you struggle with prioritizing it in your life?
I try to find it in small ways a few times a day. Gua sha in the morning, my supplements after breakfast, a short 5-10 minute walk between meetings, a run or workout when I can fit it in before work, nighttime Nuun Rest. I think I quickly realized that with being a mom, it was not going to be the ideal anymore. Instead, it was going to be pieces and cycles: some days it’s more, some weeks it’s less.
What is the best advice you received about parenting and who did you get it from?
Enjoy each phase. I heard this from another mom who was further along her mom journey. I think we all rush to move to the next thing…”once they walk, once they talk, once they read, once they…” instead of stopping and being present in the stage or phase we are in.
What struggles have you encountered finding balance? How do you navigate them?
I think the biggest one for me is the pressure to do it all: stay fit, make the best lunches, excel at work, be at all the school events. It has been a constant reminder that I cannot do it all and sometimes I will drop balls or not be 100% at all the things at all the times, and that is ok. Most recently I have made my happiness and the happiness the kids get from me being happy as my priority. We dance more, plan less, I say yes a lot more than no and try to take the pressure off all three of us.
What is your favorite part of being a mom? What has been the hardest?
My favorite part of being a mom is watching them grow and seeing their personalities and individual unique traits come to life. Hardest part of being a mom is realizing that being their best friend isn't what is best. Discipline is hard and I hate it.
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