Kylie Jenner on Working Mom Guilt: "I Think About Her all the Time"
When trying to find a word to describe the Kardashian-Jenners, your first thought isn’t usually “relatable,” but in an interview with her sister Kim Kardashian for the British news outlet, Evening Standard, the 20-year-old beauty mogul and new mom got surprisingly real about the stress of being a full-time working parent.
Speaking with her older sister, who also recently became a new mom for the third time—their daughters Stormi and Chicago are just a few weeks apart—Kylie Jenner spoke candidly about the intense spectrum of emotion accompanying new motherhood:
"I feel like it’s just been so amazing, and so much fun. I’m learning so much more about myself and life, and it’s been such a great experience," she shared. “Obviously, it's not all a breeze…Of course, there’s hard times and stuff … even in the beginning, just not sleeping, the nights, like, baby blues … and all the ups and downs."
Refreshingly, the 20-year-old shared that having a child had only redoubled her desire to work hard and continue expanding her $330-million beauty brand worldwide, but still, she battles working mom guilt:
“Even when I’m here it was so hard to leave this morning. I’m like, 'I’ll be right back, I’m so sorry, I have to leave!' and she doesn’t even know what’s going on. I think about her all the time, anywhere I am. I would rather be with her or wish she can come everywhere.”
While some Gen X and Millennial moms have (often rightfully) feared judgment from colleagues or employers—and questions about their commitment—when bringing their baby along to work functions, Kylie's spirit and modern view gives us a little hope for change with Gen Z moms.
“I can’t wait till she can come everywhere with me, because right when she’s old enough, I’ll bring her everywhere,” she says.
Yes, Kylie has more room to determine her schedule than most working moms, and this is what’s considered “work,” a lot of the time:
However, it’s inspiring to hear that integrating her family into her career, rather than having to keep the two separate is almost second nature.
Kylie reiterated that “work ethic” and “being kind” are the two pieces of advice that have gotten her this far, and that managing her 107 million-follower Instagram account isn’t as easy as it looks.
“There’s a lot to it,” she explained. “Editing your photos, posting things people want to see. I do think there’s more to it than just posting photos. I feel like for having my Instagram for so long, I just know what people like to see.”
But, so far so good. “I’m so proud of where I am right now, and where we all are. So I feel like everything that happened was how it was supposed to happen.”
Here’s hoping that just like with Kylie—and another mom to a new little one, Tammy Duckworth—the ability to bring our daughters to work whenever we need to, unapologetically, is one that trickles into more working mom’s lives, and is here to stay.
This article originally appeared on Working Mother.
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