11 Musicians Open Up About Motherhood: 'You Will Never Be Ready for Mommy Mode'

The singer and talk-show host shared some of her top tips for new and expectant moms at a virtual ShowHER Love baby shower in June 2020. Clarkson shares son Remington "Remy" Alexander, 5, and daughter River Rose, 7 next month, with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.

"You are going to be inspired to do all of these magical things with your kids. Do things you've never done before. Try things you've never done before," she said. "It is such an awesome experience being a parent. I know it can be overwhelming, but it is so amazing. You aren't just molding their little lives — it's changing you in the process, too."

One of her sagest pieces of advice? “Nap when [your kids] nap.” The “Piece By Piece” singer shared, "We all think, 'No, this is the only time I have something for me.' Don't do it! Take the nap, trust me.”

“I think the most stressful thing for me is balancing work and life," the music icon told Elle in a 2019 interview. "Making sure I am present for my kids — dropping Blue off at school, taking Rumi and Sir to their activities, making time for date nights with my husband, and being home in time to have dinner with my family — all while running a company can be challenging," said the Ivy Park owner.

The “Black Parade” singer spoke about how her journey to motherhood — including suffering miscarriages along the way — has redefined her definition of success. “Success looks different to me now. I learned that all pain and loss is in fact a gift. Having miscarriages taught me that I had to mother myself before I could be a mother to someone else,” said Beyoncé.

“Then I had Blue, and the quest for my purpose became so much deeper. I died and was reborn in my relationship, and the quest for self became even stronger. It’s difficult for me to go backwards. Being ‘number one’ was no longer my priority. My true win is creating art and a legacy that will live far beyond me. That’s fulfilling," she added.

Queen B is mom to daughter Blue Ivy, born in January 2012, and twins Rumi and Sir, born in June 2017, with husband JAY-Z.

Speaking to Vice’s i-D magazine in 2015, the “When We Were Young” singer shared that becoming a mom has helped her not sweat the small stuff.

“Becoming a parent and moving past my mid-twenties, I simply don’t have the capacity to worry about as many things that I used to really enjoy worrying about,” said Adele, who welcomed son Angelo James in October 2012 with ex-husband Simon Konecki. “Oh yeah, I used to f—— love the drama of all of it, but now I’m a mum I only have so much head space. I’ve got to clear a lot of stuff the f— out, which is really therapeutic, ’cause I can really hold a grudge. Life is so much easier when you don’t hoard your past.”

"Being a mom is probably one of the greatest things I will ever experience,” the country singer, who welcomed son Grayson with husband Grant Savoy on Feb. 8, 2021, told PEOPLE in 10's Andrea Boehlke ahead of performing at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

Guyton, who became the first solo Black female Grammy nominee in country music and co-hosted the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards, added that her focus has shifted to creating a legacy for her little one.

"Literally he is all I think about. And he's my reason. I'm doing all of this for him. I just want to make him proud," she explained. "And to make this world easier for him as he grows up and becomes a young Black man. I'm just obsessed with him if you can't tell, like really, really obsessed with him."

“The thing about parenting is you never know if anything you’re doing is working,” the singer, who shares daughter Willow Sage and son Jameson Moon with husband Carey Hart, told PEOPLE in her 2018 Beautiful Issue cover story. “That’s been the most humbling thing for me. In my head, I sound amazing and then I turn around and [Willow’s] eyes are completely glazed over. I have no idea. We’ll see.”

“I believe in affection,” the mom-of-two said of her parenting style. “I believe in needs being met and faith being implemented, and I believe in letting your kids know they can count on you, and that you’ll be there. My parents obviously did not believe in that and I worked out okay. I always tell Willow, ‘I’m going to teach you the rules so that you’ll know how and when to break them.’ ”

The new mom — who welcomed her first child with husband David Foster, son Rennie David, on Feb. 22, 2021 — spoke about adjusting to motherhood and her new work-life balance on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast.

McPhee, who currently stars on the new Netflix sitcom Country Comfort, said the role allows her to spend more time with her growing family. "I'm a new mom, so it's exciting to be home with the little baby," she said. "This is the kind of dream show, when you're a new mom, and you want to just be home with your family, and you still want to have a great job, and a fun job, a fulfilling job," she continued.

"This has been my favorite job I think I've had. It's like a really sweet, fun family. ... You get to be funny. You get to be creative. And you're done before three o'clock, Monday through Thursday," she added.

Speaking to ESSENCE in 2018, the “Level Up” singer — who shares son Win Harrison, 9 months, and daughter Sienna Princess, 4 with husband Russell Wilson, as well as 6-year-old son Future Zahir with her ex-fiancé, rapper Future — opened up about slowing down to spend time with her family.

“As an entertainer when you’re just going and going, and with business when you’re really driven, when you have days like Mother’s Day you take the moment to put all of that to the side and really be normal and embrace that special part of life,” she told the outlet.

Reflecting on motherhood, she added, “Being a mom is not about doing what everybody else does. You might take some inspiration and advice, but it’s really about designing your own game plan.”

Motherhood has helped the “Girl” singer feel more confident in herself and her body than ever before, she told PEOPLE ahead of performing at retailer Shein’s virtual Together-Fest on May 2, 2021.

The Grammy Winner explained that she feels the "most comfortable now, at this age, a year after having my kid, and just knowing that I raised another human." Morris welcomed son Hayes Andrew with husband Ryan Hurd on March 23, 2020.

"I was the house, and I feel like that's given me so much confidence that I didn't have before when I was a size two," she shared. "So I definitely feel like being a mom has made me feel really powerful in my own body because look what we're capable of."

“I was in a band and free my whole life, so I always thought I would be really free with [my kids] and do whatever I wanted, like, ‘Oh, I’ll take them out of school,’ ” the former No Doubt rocker and mom-of-three admitted to PEOPLE in 2017. “But you learn that when they have boundaries is when they feel the safest.”

Stefani, who is engaged to longtime love Blake Shelton, shares sons Apollo Bowie Flynn, 7, Zuma Nesta Rock, 12, and Kingston James McGregor, 15 this month, with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.

The “I Like It” rapper has been candid on social media about adjusting to motherhood, often sharing insights and frustrations — not to mention ultra-adorable shots of her daughter Kulture, whom she welcomed in July 2018 with husband Offset.

“Let me tell you all something, no matter how many books y'all read or advice y'all get you will never be ready for mommy mode," she previously told fans in an Instagram Story. "I'm so busy, so tired, in like a different world, a different dimension. My eyes are so dark and puffy, like I'm wild pale ..." she shared.

“Being a parent has made me more open, more connected to myself, more happy, and more creative,” the “Girl on Fire” singer previously told Scholastic Parent & Child.

“I’m more discerning in what I do and how I do it. It’s just made me a better person all the way around,” she continued. Keys is mom to sons Egypt and Genesis, whom she shares with husband Swizz Beatz.

"I’m here for all of this!!!⁣ One day they will be so big I won’t be able to hold them both at the same time. But 4 now, I’m not taking ONE SECOND for granted!⁣" she wrote on Instagram alongside a shot of her swimming with her sons.