How To Be A Latina, Millennial Mom by Wendie Barragan
Photo Cred: ELLA Inspires Magazine
At 20 years of age…
I was busy making plans to attend University. But life had different plans for me. On a warm fall morning, I woke up feeling very odd. My body felt like it had transformed overnight. The thought of being pregnant crossed my mind, so I rushed to Target to buy a pregnancy test. When I arrived back home, I shut my bathroom door to take the hardest test of my life. I expected negative results. To my surprise, the words “PREGNANT” blinked repeatedly on that little screen.
"I sat on my toilet for what seemed like hours, in shock, thinking about what my life was going to be become."
I had so many questions! What kind of mom was I going to be? How could I be a millennial and teach my children about their Latino culture? All this while finding myself and growing into the woman I wanted to become. Here's what I learned:
Information Is Everywhere
My mom is from the baby boomer generation. She didn’t read books to learn how to be a mom. She relied on tradition, trial, and error. In the palm of my hand, my phone had unlimited information on motherhood and parenting.
Join A Community
I didn’t have many Latina mom friends that were in the same journey as I. That is when I realized that motherhood could be a lonely world. So, I subscribed to every parenting magazine and joined online mom groups. I had to learn to blend in within my surroundings and join mom groups that were multicultural.
Get Social
When social media became popular, I had no choice but to keep up with child activities, kid-friendly recipes and Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. The daily picture and video taking is now part of my life. Capturing life in the moment is so important because I can relive memories within seconds.
Teach Them Spanish
Teaching my children Spanish is still a challenge because they are not surrounded by fluent speakers. When my boys are watching a TV show that has the SAP option, I change the language to Spanish. The guilt I feel bothers me but when I see my boys enjoying themselves & learning the language, I feel better.
The Food of Their Ancestors
Tacos are staple in our diet. We believe tacos are needed for a healthy mind and body. My boys know that when we go to a Taqueria, they must show respect and eat everything on their plate. I work outside the home, but I remind my boys that I work for them; so they may have all the basics to thrive.
While there are many things that make my mothering different than my mother’s generation, we do share things in common. We share the same views of family, to love and give our all to make sure everyone is happy and loved. Being a millennial Latina mama involves non stop multitasking, shuffling our kids from one place to another, and taking care of our needs.
But at the end of the day, when everyone is tucked in bed asleep, clean and fed, I can rest at ease knowing I loved my boys with all my heart that day. Then, I settle into bed to rest and recharge for another day to love them all over again.
Wendie Barragan
Wendie is a professional taco connoisseur, mother of 2, and nature lover. She is focused on building a community that supports bilingual, Latina moms just like her.