10 Shows To Watch in Anticipation (And For) Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner…curl up with your mother and one of these shows this May…

Motherhood is a challenging journey filled with ups and downs.

From the sleepless nights to the endless laundry, raising children is a full-time job that requires patience, strength, and love.

But, there are moments of joy and wonder that make it all worth it.

Watching TV shows that celebrate motherhood can be a great way to unwind and feel better about your own journey (because everyone’s journey is different — which is why we shouldn’t judge other moms and instead celebrate us all!).

In this article, we’ll explore ten shows that make you feel great about being a mom.

1. Queen Sugar

Queen Sugar is a drama series on OWN that revolves around the lives of the Bordelon siblings as they inherit their father’s sugarcane farm in Louisiana.

One of the central themes of the show is motherhood, as each of the siblings is raising their own children while also dealing with personal and professional challenges.

Nova, a journalist and activist, is a single mother to her teenage son and struggles to balance her career and family responsibilities.

Charley, a successful businesswoman, is a mother to her teenage son and preteen daughter and must navigate the complexities of co-parenting with her ex-husband.

Ralph Angel, the youngest sibling, is a single father to his young son and faces financial and legal hurdles in his efforts to provide for his family.

The show offers a nuanced and realistic portrayal of the joys and struggles of motherhood, highlighting the strength and resilience of BIPOC mothers.

It’s available to stream on Hulu and OWN.

2. Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin is a popular CW dramedy that follows the story of Jane Villanueva, a young woman who is accidentally artificially inseminated and becomes pregnant.

Throughout the show, motherhood is a recurring theme, as Jane grapples with the challenges of balancing her new role as a mother with her career and personal life.

She seeks guidance and support from her own mother, Xiomara, and her grandmother, Alba, who provide a multi-generational perspective on motherhood.

The show also explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, as Jane navigates her relationship with her own mother and tries to build a relationship with her long-lost biological father.

With its unique blend of romance, humor, and drama, Jane the Virgin offers a poignant and heartwarming portrayal of motherhood that is both relatable and uplifting.

3. Black-ish

Blackish is a popular ABC sitcom that explores the experiences of an upper-middle-class African American family living in suburban America.

The show centers around the Johnson family, headed by father Dre and mother Rainbow, and their four children.

As a working mother, Rainbow faces the challenges of balancing her career as a doctor with her role as a mother and wife. She often struggles with finding the right balance between work and home life, leading to conflicts with her husband and children.

The show also highlights Rainbow’s journey as a mother, as she learns to navigate issues such as race, gender, and class with her children.

Through its humor and relatable story lines, Blackish offers a refreshing and honest portrayal of the complexities of motherhood in modern-day America.

4. Modern Family

Modern Family is a mockumentary-style sitcom that follows the lives of the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan.

The show features several mothers, each with their own unique parenting style and challenges.

Claire Dunphy is a stay-at-home mom of three who is often seen struggling to balance her responsibilities at home with her often burning desire to re-enter the workforce.

Gloria Pritchett is a passionate Colombian mother and stepmother who is fiercely protective of her son and stepchildren.

In one episode (probably the first), when a fellow soccer mom suggests taking her son, Manny, out of the game (because he’s playing pretty horribly), she responds with, “How about I take you out?” Damn, Gloria!

The Mama Bear claws come out quite a bit for Gloria because her son, Manny — well…he’s not like other kids his age. He’s got a bit more…flair.

Cam Tucker is a stay-at-home dad who is devoted to his daughter, Lily, and is often seen navigating the challenges of being a stay-at-home parent.

The show portrays the ups and downs of motherhood with humor and heart, highlighting the different approaches and struggles that each mother (or partner) faces in trying to raise their children in a constantly changing world.

Overall, Modern Family offers a relatable and often heartwarming look at the joys and challenges of motherhood.

5. Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies is a drama that follows the lives of three mothers, played by Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley, as they navigate their complex relationships and the challenges of motherhood.

The show explores the dark side of motherhood, including domestic violence and the pressure to be a perfect mother.

The drama series revolves around a group of wealthy mothers in Monterey, California whose seemingly perfect lives are shattered by a murder.

The show delves into the complexities of motherhood as each character struggles to balance their personal and family lives while navigating secrets and lies.

Madeline is a mother of three and a force to be reckoned with, but she struggles to accept her daughter’s decision to attend a different school.

Celeste is a former lawyer and mother of twin boys who is trapped in an abusive marriage.

Jane is a young single mother who’s new in town, and she’s grappling with a traumatic event from her past.

These three women, along with their friends and neighbors, are forced to confront the realities of motherhood, including the pressure to be perfect, the challenges of balancing career and family, and the lengths they will go to protect their children.

The show offers a poignant and often dark portrayal of motherhood, highlighting the sacrifices and vulnerabilities that come with being a mother in a society that places such high expectations on women.

6. Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black is a critically acclaimed Netflix original series that explores the lives of women in a minimum-security federal prison.

The show provides a unique perspective on motherhood as several of the main characters are mothers, and their experiences in prison affect their relationships with their children.

The protagonist, Piper Chapman, struggles to maintain her relationship with her fiancé, Larry, and her mother while serving time in prison.

Other characters, such as Dayanara Diaz, face challenges in maintaining a connection with their children outside of prison, while some, like Sophia Burset, deal with the challenges of parenting as a transgender woman.

Dayanara also has to deal with her strained relationship with her own mother (who’s also in prison with her) on a daily basis.

Overall, the show provides a complex and nuanced portrayal of the impact of incarceration on motherhood, highlighting the strength and resilience of these women as they navigate these challenges.

7. Fresh Off the Boat

Fresh Off the Boat is a sitcom that follows the Huang family, who move from Washington D.C.’s Chinatown to Orlando, Florida to start a new life.

The mother of the family, Jessica Huang, is a strong-willed and determined woman who is dedicated to providing the best life possible for her children.

As an immigrant mother, Jessica faces unique challenges as she tries to balance her Chinese culture with the American lifestyle her children are growing up in.

She’s fiercely protective of her children, often clashing with her husband and their school to ensure their success.

Jessica’s struggles and triumphs as a mother are a central theme of the show, offering a relatable and often humorous depiction of the immigrant experience and the role of mothers in shaping their children’s lives.

I love watching all of these mamas on TV. What about you? What are some of your favorite shows that have “motherhood” themes baked in?

Let me know in the comments.

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