Bekah Martinezis taking the highs and lows of parenthood in stride.
The 26-year-oldBacheloralum is mom to daughterRuth Ray De La Luz, 2, and 8-month-old sonFranklin James, and as she tellsParents Latinafor the magazine’s April/May 2021 issue, the pressures to be a “perfect mom” are insurmountable.
Martinez, who shares her children with boyfriendGrayston Leonard, speaks on the “pressures we put on ourselves,” saying, “We have so many standards for being the perfect mom. I try to be aware of that and then force myself to confront those expectations.”
“As a kid, I had a lot of undiagnosed anxiety and obsessive-compulsive issues, but I grew up in a household that stigmatized mental illness,” says Martinez. “I thought that admitting I needed help showed weakness. But I learned from experience that becoming a mom can definitely take a toll on your well-being, especially during the postpartum period.”
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Ari Michelson for PARENTS LATINA
“It was excruciating,” says Martinez, “and got better only once I became open to therapy.”
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The mom of two is quick to highlight the joy she finds in parenthood, particularly the boost she gets when she sees her kids are happy.
“When you’re a parent, you’ll go to the ends of the earth to make your kids smile,” she says. “Grayston will gladly sing ‘Let It Go,’ fromFrozen. I love the song ‘Shiny,’ fromMoana. I always do a whole performance as a crab and get really into character. Forget trying to be cool — nothing makes you happier than seeing your children happy.”
If you or someone you know need mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
