Gabrielle Union Discussed the Importance of Self-Care As a Mom

santa monica, ca july 11 gabrielle union and kaavia james union wade attend nickelodeon kids choice sports 2019 at barker hangar on july 11, 2019 in santa monica, california photo by gregg deguirewireimage

(Image credit: Gregg DeGuire)

published 14 August 2020

Gabrielle Union opened up about parenting and the importance of self-care, speaking to Scandal star Katie Lowes.
"We're super conditioned to not center ourselves in our own stories," Union said. "It is OK to center yourself and your needs and advocate for yourself."
She spoke to Lowes on parenting podcast Katie's Crib, released by Shondaland.

Gabrielle Union, you're no doubt aware, is a delight. And she's pretty delightful as a parent, too (some evidence: This adorable video with baby Kaavia, and this lovely tribute she and husband Dwyane Wade paid to daughter Zaya). In a recent appearance on Katie Lowes' Shondaland podcast Katie's Crib, as People reports, she spoke about her difficulties with infertility, her surrogacy experience, and her parenting journey. What's more, Union stressed the importance of prioritizing self-care as a parent and resisting societal pressure to "[give] every part of ourselves to other people." And if you're struggling to give adequate time and attention to your own needs? I very much recommend you listen to her advice.

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"We're super conditioned to not center ourselves in our own stories," she said. "Anything less than giving everything, every part of ourselves to other people, we're that selfish bitch, we're the bad mom, we're the bad wife, we're the bad friend, when you don't give every piece of yourself to everyone else whenever they feel like they need it," she continued.

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"It is OK to center yourself and your needs and advocate for yourself and be the center of your own story, and be your best self for yourself, so you can offer—in reasonable doses, as you see fit—parts of you to other people," Union stressed. "We say in our family and in our crew, 'We all we got.' But that includes the motherfucker in the mirror. Start with you first."

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Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.