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The 2025 Grammys Put Motherhood in the Spotlight

Every time my toddler cries at daycare dropoff, I imagine her future therapist blaming me for her trauma. Sometimes my mind circles back to that TikTok about how “unnaturally” taking young children away from their mothers ruins their ability to create attachments. Other times, it goes to the teacher who told me daycare kids don't do as well at school.

Of course, I'm not alone in my daily guilt spiral. Nearly every working mom struggles with the tradeoffs — both real and imagined — that come with pursuing a career after having kids. You get both skeptics who question your devotion to your children, and people who second-guess your commitment to your job. It can feel like, to get ahead professionally, you need to downplay your role as a mother. But if you let work seep into family time, you're a bad parent. So you end up living two separate lives without enough time for either (not to mention yourself).

So it was both surprising and refreshing to see motherhood take center stage at the Grammy Awards this year on Feb. 2. Several nominees not only brought their kids along to the show, but actively made them part of the experience. And the cameras broadcast it all to everyone watching from home.

Most of the attention went to Beyoncé, who brought her daughter Blue Ivy onstage for her acceptance speech after winning album of the year. The 13-year-old was the first person her mom turned to hug after her long-awaited win, and Blue Ivy apparently asked to go up with her. Bey's unhesitating response? “Of course.”

She wasn't the only one. Alicia Keys also brought her 10-year-old son Genesis to accept the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, at times grabbing his hand as she spoke. (Genesis also earned fans by dancing with Taylor Swift in the audience, with Keys cheering him on.)

Then there was Shakira, who used her acceptance speech for best Latin pop album to shout out her kids, Milan, 12, and Sasha, 10. “I'm so proud of you guys, of your kind hearts,” she said. “Thank you so much for supporting me the way you do. I love you.” They blew her kisses from the audience.

Earlier, when red carpet interviewers asked Kehlani about bringing her daughter Adeya to the awards, the singer told them that her 5-year-old wasn't just a plus-one — Adeya was featured on Kehlani's album nominated for best progressive R&B album, too, so she was technically a Grammy nominee herself.

This display of super successful women highlighting their kids at the biggest, most publicized event in their industry sent a powerful message: You can be at the top of your profession, pull off a schedule with all kinds of irregular hours and crazy travel, and still prioritize your children. Having a family doesn't mean you can't also have an amazing career.

Of course, these musicians are by no means your average working moms. Their status affords them opportunities like personalized childcare and enough influence to negotiate conditions that your everyday employee doesn't have (like, for example, putting your daughter on your album). Yet, they also juggle outsized demands that mean they're definitely not home for dinner every night; they likely have conversations with their kids about paparazzi and the media that I couldn't imagine having to navigate.

It also struck me that as pop stars, their success (unfortunately) often hinges on being conventionally hot. It's literally part of their job to be seen as sex symbols — which is, well, not something our culture associates with moms, to say the least. So to bring their children into the spotlight makes a statement. Yes, you can rock banging cleavage and thigh-high split, and love your kids. You can shake your hips and twerk like a badass, and be a great mom.

To be sure, watching the Grammys didn't make me feel any less guilty when I heard my daughter wailing for me from her classroom this morning. But the broadcast did present an alternate image of motherhood that I loved — one where moms aren't boxed in by stereotypes, or feel a need to hide part of themselves in order to find success.

My new dream? By the time my daughter is old enough for motherhood, I hope we live in a world where, instead of struggling to balance work and family, all moms can unapologetically crush it with their kids right there, cheering them on.

Jennifer Heimlich is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in fitness and wellness journalism. She previously worked as the senior fitness editor for Well+Good and the editor in chief of Dance Magazine. A UESCA-certified running coach, she's written about running and fitness for publications like Shape, GQ, Runner's World, and The Atlantic.




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