How motherhood made me a stronger communicator

Dec 30

My alarm goes off. It’s 6 a.m. and my to-do list immediately starts running through my mind. I have 90 minutes to get three kids fed and ready, pray my first prayer of the day, get myself dressed for work and somehow stay sane in the process.

Today, my five-year-old refuses to get out of bed, my three-year-old is already running wild and my 14-month-old is tugging at my pants saying “mama” because he hasn’t seen me all night.

I’m halfway through getting my second child ready when I glance at the clock. It’s 6:45 a.m. already. One of those mornings where time feels impossible.

I take a breath, look at my eldest and say, “Ziyad, I understand you don’t want to get up, but your whining is making everyone late and school is waiting for you.”

Motherhood has a way of quietly yet boldly reshaping you. Not in one big moment, but in a hundred small ones. A toddler tugging on your pants while you try to get other things done. A three-year-old sitting on your lap while you chug your coffee. Three young boys asking for food, attention and cuddles… all before 7 a.m.

Somewhere in the middle of that chaos, I realized something surprising.

Motherhood didn’t pull me away from being a strong communicator. It actually made me a better one.

Everything I practice in my career, whether it’s clarity, empathy, patience, boundary-setting or listening, started to sharpen the moment I became a mom in 2020. Over the past five years, those skills have become the foundation of how I show up in my work, my storytelling and my leadership.

Here’s how motherhood strengthened the communicator in me.

1. Motherhood forced me to simplify complex ideas

Kids don’t care about jargon. They don’t respond to long monologues or overcomplicated explanations. They want clarity. They want honesty. They want it simple.

Instead of commanding my five-year-old to “take responsibility,” I choose language that empowers him: these are his things, and he’s the one who knows how to care for them best.

That skill translates directly into my work, especially in my 9–5.

As a communicator, particularly on large infrastructure projects, clarity is everything. Turning complex technical information into something a community member can actually understand is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Motherhood taught me that the simpler the message, the stronger the connection.

2. It strengthened my emotional intelligence

You can’t parent without emotional intelligence, full stop. You learn to read expressions before words. You listen to what isn’t being said. You become deeply aware of how tone can shift an entire moment.

Those same skills shape how I communicate with stakeholders, clients and communities.

Motherhood taught me to listen before reacting, to speak with intention and to approach difficult conversations with empathy rather than defence. It’s made me a more grounded communicator in every environment.

3. It taught me to communicate boundaries with compassion

With kids, boundaries are essential. Routines, limits, expectations and emotional safety all depend on consistency.

Professionally, boundaries matter just as much.

Motherhood taught me how to say:

“Here’s what I need.”
“This timeline is possible. This one isn’t.”
“Let’s revisit this after…”
“I hear your concern. Here’s the solution.”

Boundaries aren’t walls. They’re clarity. And clarity makes everyone’s job easier.

4. Motherhood improved my ability to prioritize messages

When you’re raising three young kids, you become a master prioritizer very quickly. You learn what’s urgent, what’s important and what can wait. That instinct shows up in my workflow every day. Urgent communications. Approvals. Community-facing issues.

You know what to escalate, what to respond to immediately and what needs a moment. Motherhood trained me to make decisions quickly and thoughtfully, a skill that serves me daily.

5. It made me a more empathetic storyteller

Becoming a mother teaches you softness in places that once carried fear. You think more deeply about impact. You think about how your words land. You think about legacy.

You start asking bigger, more human questions:

Who feels seen in this story?
Who doesn’t?
Whose voice needs to be amplified?

Empathy isn’t a nice-to-have in communications. It’s the core of compelling storytelling. And motherhood amplified mine.

6. It deepened my confidence in my voice

Motherhood strips away ego. You don’t have time to perform or impress. You speak to connect, not to be perfect.

You advocate fiercely. For your children, for yourself and eventually, for your work. I trust my instincts more. I speak with more clarity. I communicate with conviction. Motherhood didn’t weaken my professional voice, it actually made it stronger.

Conclusion

There’s a narrative that motherhood holds women back. That it slows us down. That it pulls us out of our careers.

But when I look at who I’ve become as a communicator, a storyteller and a leader, I see the opposite.

Motherhood refined me. It made me sharper and softer at the same time. It gave me clarity, empathy and resilience. I didn’t become a communicator despite motherhood. I became a better one because of it.