Serena Williams Encourages Mothers to Share Their Stories

“Kids humble us,” Williams wrote in her tweet.

Tennis star Serena Williams shared a picture of herself with her 11-month-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

In the caption of the picture, Williams shared an anecdote from when she was travelling with Alexis on a plane. She also encouraged women to share stories of their own experiences of motherhood using #ThisMama.

Kids humble us. The other day on a flight home Olympia insisted on running up and down the aisle and when I finally got her to sit still, she threw up all over me. #ThisMama would love to hear your stories of motherhood.. even ones like this! Share and tag them with #ThisMama. pic.twitter.com/9N5duB2M3t

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) August 26, 2018

“Kids humble us. The other day on a flight home Olympia insisted on running up and down the aisle and when I finally got her to sit still, she threw up all over me. #ThisMama would love to hear your stories of motherhood.. even ones like this! Share and tag them with #ThisMama (sic),” Williams wrote in her tweet.

Stories started pouring in in no time with mothers sharing funny, frustrating, and emotional experiences that they had had with their kids.

Then there was the time I was interviewed by the police on suspicion of being a drug dealer, because my six year old had taken some homeopathic white powder ‘wraps’ to school & given to his friends. When asked what they were he said “people come to our house & buy them” #thismama

— Sarah Ockwell-Smith (@TheBabyExpert) August 26, 2018

Absolutely love the #ThisMama conversation, because the memories do not go away. I asked my child (under the age of 4) why did you use that naughty language - with utter embarrassment at the profanity and zeal. With no expression she replied, “I got all the words from you.”

— Aimee A'Laine (@newjoynjourney) August 26, 2018

She refused to unlock the door, even though she absolutely knows how, & just stood there and stared at me. After panicking for a few seconds, #ThisMama realized I could just go around the front of the house & go in through our garage. Thank God my husband fixed the key pad!

— Megan (@m_pedrianes) August 26, 2018

Never hold a boy with no Pampers on over your head looking up. They pee in your mouth. #ThisMama

— Sonia E. Wilson (@SoniaEWilson1) August 26, 2018

I took my kids to work with me every day. My husband and I would discuss work at home. One day my oldest walked around the office and told one of my employees “my mommy is going to fire you”. From that day on we talked in code words. #ThisMama

— josie (@jodelblue) August 26, 2018

My daughter loved to take everything out of the pantry & put it all back in. #ThisMama came back in the room to her looking like this & the 3 minutes it took me to figure out she’d gotten into the red food coloring & wasn’t bleeding profusely were the longest 3 minutes of my life pic.twitter.com/eRvmEGlQFD

— Kaz Weida (@kazweida) August 26, 2018

My daughter and I planted some seeds together, hoping to grow flowers. I went outside to water them and told her to watch. She locked the sliding glass door on me. #ThisMama got locked out of the house by her two year old

— Megan (@m_pedrianes) August 26, 2018

In May 2018, when Williams returned from maternity leave, she was penalised for taking the time off. French Open organisers refused to give her a seeding.

By taking time off for pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery from life-threatening complications, Williams had dropped 453 spots in the ranking.

But Williams shut her critics down by making it to the Wimbledon finals.

In August 2018, when her black catsuit outfit at the French Open came under the radar for being ‘unsuitable’, Williams shrugged the criticism off by saying, “When it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender.”