Welcome to our Mama Next Door Series - an inside look at the women who inspire, motivate and relate to all of us. First up is Charlotte Betts -- mama of two little girls and founder of Pint Size Faith. She is a multilingual content creator, storyteller, and hype woman extraordinaire with a knack for words and aesthetics. She enjoy long walks through Target aisles, intimate gatherings, and (binge) watching documentaries on Netflix. She also helps women led brands show up online effortlessly through effective and impactful storytelling. You can follow her work here. 

Tell me a bit about yourself before you became a mother, and how did you change after becoming a mother?

Seems like so long ago (lol) - Before becoming a mother I was a little more carefree than I am now. Motherhood comes with a great sense of responsibility therefore I'm very mindful of the things I do. I am thankful for the ways it changed me, ways in which I never knew were possible. It's helped me to approach situations with far more grace than I've ever had before and for that I am thankful.

What does your absolute dream version of motherhood look like? 

Dream version of motherhood for me...That's a good question. Dream version of motherhood would be where my 5 year old doesn't fight me during our bedtime routine and laundry is non existing. LOL - All jokes aside I think motherhood is what we make it dream motherhood some days is not cooking dinner , other days it's playing with your children all day without a care in the world... It varies. 

What societal or cultural messages about motherhood frustrate you and how would you like to see them changed?

Racial disparities in maternal mortality and the way black women are handled when it comes to their maternal health.

What do you do well? What’s really works for you? Do you have a secret? Your mom super power? 

What works well for me is doing what I can and leaving the rest.  When I had my first child, I felt like I needed to do everything. Didn't work out so well, I was tired. My super power is doing my best and leaving the rest.

How do you take care of yourself? How do you deal with mom guilt?

I think every mother deals with mom guilt to a certain extent, and I think it's normal. But I don't stay there. We need to remind ourselves as mothers that we are women before we are mothers. It's important for us to take care of our children, it's just as important for us to take care of ourselves. 

What’s a topic related to motherhood, or life after becoming a mother, that you wish we talked about more?

I recently read an article which stated  that "black women across the income spectrum and from all walks of life are dying from preventable pregnancy-related complications at three to four times the rate of non-Hispanic white women, while the death rate for black infants is twice that of infants born to non-Hispanic white mothers." We need to talk about eliminating racial disparities when it comes to motherhood. But not only talk about it, but also find a solution.