Ashley Graham Says Motherhood Is a ‘Constant Struggle’ of Finding 'Balance': ‘You Feel Guilty’
The model shares sons Isaac, 3, and twins Malachi and Roman, 22 months, with husband Justin Ervin
Ashley Graham has a lot to juggle as a mother of three.
She and husband Justin Ervin share sons Isaac, 3, and 22-month-old twins Malachi and Roman, and Graham, 36, described the trio as “my little dinosaurs.”
“They're always asking to be wrestled or read a book or play with tools outside,” she told Entertainment Tonight at Monday’s 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City. "It's fun to have the camaraderie of being a big family and just running around."
Isaac loves being a big brother to the twins, she shared, while Malachi and Roman couldn’t be less similar. "There's nothing about them that is alike,” she told the outlet.
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While she’s been open about the joy that motherhood has brought her, she’s also been candid about the struggles. In July, she told PEOPLE she suffers from "frequent breakdowns" as she tries to juggle her family, her marriage and her career.
Speaking to ET, Graham reiterated those feelings. "As a mom, you feel guilty when you're not working, you feel guilty when you're not with your kids. It's a constant struggle of trying to figure out what is [a] balance."
The model said that she often returns to a quote from a speech Shonda Rhimes gave when she’s feeling particularly bogged down by responsibilities.
“When you're at work, you're missing time with your family. When you're with your family, you're missing time with your work. You're always gonna be missing out on something, so just embrace what this is."
Graham previously told PEOPLE that there’s another quote she often reminds herself of, from another high-powered mom in the industry.
"I mean, I'm guilty every day. Ariana Huffington actually told me, she was like, 'You just have to get over it.' If you live in the guilt, then it's just going to keep hindering you.”
She added, "I mean, the idea of balance, I wish it existed. What I do is I have these in-depth conversations with myself and my husband about — I have set up my kids so that when I'm home, I'm home and I'm locked in.”
That way, when she’s out and about and working, she knows her babies are "being taken care of and that they're in the best hands."
"And that's all I can do because I would go crazy if I didn't have a purpose outside of that and for myself,” she continued. "And I'm only three and a half years into motherhood, so I'm just doing my best every day."
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