An unflinchingly honest and disarmingly funny memoir from an exhausted mom who broke under the pressure to do it all, faced her past, found herself—and learned to let go of perfection and just serve the dang chicken nuggets. "Libby is shifting the cultural narrative in a way that will echo for generations. Honest Motherhood is a powerful blend of truth-telling and rebellion—a rallying cry for women to stop carrying what was never theirs to hold." —Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play When Libby Ward became a mother at twenty-six, she thought she was prepared. Determined to give her kids a childhood different from her own, she clung to the world’s “shoulds” like her children's future depended on it. That was her first mistake. A couple years later, with a toddler around her ankle, a needy baby in her arms, and silent rage coursing through her veins, Libby began to unravel. Struggling to manage the unrelenting and often unspoken expectations of mothering, she did what any overfunctioning people-pleaser would do—she wallowed in shame. Then, she tried harder. Self-care! Boundaries! Sleep when the baby sleeps! But as Libby’s body and mind began to push back, Libby wondered: Why, with so much information and advice at our fingertips, is motherhood still so impossibly hard? In Honest Motherhood , Libby candidly shares her journey of unlearning the myth of the ideal mother. She dives headfirst into the experiences many mothers have but few feel safe enough to say out loud—the lack of support, the guilt, the invisibility, the cycles they’re breaking, and the fantasies about a hospital stay just to get a flippin’ break. Libby untangles her social conditioning from learned trauma responses and discovers that letting go of unrealistic standards, asking for help, and prioritizing herself aren’t failures—they’re necessities. Equal parts memoir and manifesto, flush with refreshing takeaways, Honest Motherhood is a rallying cry for moms to let go of perfection, choose themselves, and give their kids what they need most—a mother who is present and whole. “ Honest Motherhood more than lives up to its title, presenting an unvarnished story of mothering in a culture not fashioned to support women and families in their sacred role of rearing children.” —Gabor Maté, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Myth of Normal “A promising debut. . . . A vulnerable, insightful, and refreshing exploration of what it takes to become a good parent when you grow up with dysfunction.” — Kirkus Reviews “Instead of aspiring to be a perfect mom, Libby encourages us to be an honest mom, with the kind of raw, biting humor that every mom can relate to. If you’re ready for a motherhood book that’s as real as motherhood itself, pick up Honest Motherhood .” —Melissa Urban, author of The Book of Boundaries “This book will awaken mothers to their truth and transform how they parent forever. With compassion and clarity, Honest Motherhood reveals that the path to becoming a more present parent begins with becoming a more whole woman.” —Dr. Shefali, clinical psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent “Libby Ward has written the motherhood manifesto we didn’t know we needed—she isn’t here to sell you a Pinterest-perfect life; she’s here to sit in the mess with you, laugh until you cry, and remind you that you’re not broken—you’re just a mom doing her best in a world that forgot to send the manual. Read Honest Motherhood . Shove it into the hands of every mom you know.” —Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author and host of the For the Love podcast “In Honest Motherhood , with her characteristic humor, creativity and breathtaking candor, Libby Ward recounts the highs and lows of motherhood—the fun, the exhaustion, the opportunities, the difficulties. Anyone who feels as if they’re drowning in the impossible expectations of modern parenthood will read her account and feel understood.” —Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of Secrets of Adulthood “Libby is shifting the cultural narrative in a way that will echo for generations. Honest Motherhood is a powerful blend of truth-telling and rebellion—a rallying cry for women to stop carrying what was never theirs to hold.” —Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play “Breezy, honest, and thoughtful.” — Booklist “Ardent and heartfelt . . . Charmingly conversational . . . There’s energy in these pages, and an unmistakable sense that Ward operates from a genuine desire to make other young mothers struggling with shame or buried trauma feel less alone.” — Publishers Weekly “ Honest Motherhood is sure to resonate with fans of authors like Brené Brown and Eve Rodsky and become a new rallying cry for a generation of exhausted mothers.” —Library Journal Libby Ward is a writer, speaker, and advocate redefining the motherhood narrative. Through her social media platform