Ever since Keke Palmer welcomed her son in 2023, she’s been one of the realest, coolest celebrity moms out there. She’s given fans so many updates on her beloved son, and all of her vulnerable musings on the intricacies of parenthood.
For those who don’t know, back in Dec 2022, Palmer announced during her Saturday Night Live opening monologue that she was expecting a baby with her boyfriend at the time, Darius Jackson.
On Feb 2023, they welcomed a son named Leodis Andrellton Jackson, better known as “Leo.” As we said, Palmer has been oh-so honest about everything motherhood has changed about her life, from the good to the bad to the messy; and that’s one of many reasons why we love her so!
For Palmer’s 31st birthday today, on Aug 26, 2024, let’s check out her most iconic quotes on motherhood, from breastfeeding to her input on the idea of “bouncing back” after childbirth.
Below, check out Keke Palmer’s best quotes on her motherhood journey.
On Responsiblity in Parenthood
“The funny thing about it, the child is the most responsible you can be,” she told E! News‘ Francesca Amiker. “Having a child is going to bring a certain level of responsibility that nothing else will… [and] learn how to do things on their own.”
“I need to be the best for him and to be the best for him, I gotta be the best me,” she added. “I’m not gonna be able to be the best me for him if I’m not focusing on the things that make me the best I can be.”
On Mom-Shamers
Keke Palmer has no time for mom-shamers!
“There’s not much I don’t love about being a mother,” she said on Instagram. “Except for the unsolicited advice especially in the social media comments. Because here’s the thing: I’ve seen it on my page, I’ve seen it on other mothers’ pages, and it gets to the point where I don’t even think people realize that there is privilege in what they’re asking.”
“Every mom can’t breastfeed; every mom doesn’t want to breastfeed,” she added. “Every mom can’t afford formula. Everyone can’t afford the car seat that said it was 555 … Y’all gotta stop with that.” She explained that her parents did the best they could while raising her, and no one should be shamed for that. “I grew up on high sodium … we grew up on Section 8. We were just trying to get by, OK? My mama had to cuss out the private school because they were being racist towards my sister, and we didn’t know what we was gonna do.”
On ‘The Next Generation’
“I just love my son so much. 🥹🫶🏾♥️🙌🏾👶🏾🎶♓️,” she wrote on Instagram in early 2024. “I don’t think our children will ever know the things we’ve overcome within ourselves just to rise to the occasion of being their parent. And they don’t have to, it’s not a burden to bear!”
Palmer added, “One day he will be a grown man and have his own life and his own family and it will be a joy to see him carry on his teachings and share that freedom with the next generation..”
On How She Brings Leodis Everywhere
She told People in early 2024 that Leodis “does come with me everywhere,” including when she’s filming. She added, “People will be like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s the cutest baby in the world.’ I’m like, ‘I know.'”
On Respecting Leodis’ Individuality
Palmer also told People that she’s all about respecting Leodis’ individuality.
“[I’m] definitely more selective with projects,” she said. “Looking for stuff that allows me to be with him either at home, or it’s somewhere I can go and have a room or a trailer. I also want to respect his individuality and his freedom and space. It’s not just like you come to mommy’s world, only mommy’s world.”
She added, “You have to always think about that, with kids. While we want to take them everywhere and we want them to be our world, they are their own little people, so you have to also give them their own sense of structure. Because as an adult, I’m kind of here, there and everywhere. I really try to keep that in mind.”
On Nurturing and Protecting Leodis
For Leo’s birthday, Palmer gave him a loving tribute that talked about how she wanted to protect him.
“Happy Birthday son I LOVE YOU SO MUCH,” she said on Instagram. “You came into my life today at 3:28pm, but I knew even before then that you were the strongest person I ever knew. There were so many moments during my pregnancy where your silent strength would give me peace. This is something you still do just with your mere existence!”
“You make my life so worth living. If I’m being honest I have always teeter tottered with life. I have just always been so annoyed by it and the ups and the downs and it has always seemed so painful for trivial reasons. Things could be so simple and they’re not and that always gave me a bitter feeling. But since you my son, I have no confusion on why I am here! On my purpose or my value or why I should stay,” she added. “I wanna stay for you. I want to be here to love and protect you and watch you be the good in this world! You are so special and so precious I would take a thousand bullets to the chest, run into a burning building, essentially I’d die a thousand deaths… or actually I’d LIVE, I’d live a million lives. Even with all the pain and suffering one has to experience here. I will do it over and over again, because I know that I’d be with YOU! I will live, I will smile, I will cry, I’ll be angry, I’ll have love and I’ll have pain, I will find JOY. I will do all the things.. for you.”
She added, “It’s so easy to say no, it’s so easy to say GOODBYE. But I say YES and I say HELLO to LIFE because of YOU! I’m so happy for my son. Thank you God. I love you so much buddy.”
On Self-Love as a Mom
In a February 2024 cover interview with Teen Vogue, the “Big Boss” singer shared that she is focused on loving herself more now that she’s a mom.
“Because I love my son so much, I gotta love me so much,” she told the outlet about her baby Leo. It’s the same put-the-oxygen-mask-on-yourself-first concept — you have to love yourself fully first to love your baby the best.
Palmer is putting this into practice by going back to Pilates, focusing on “me time,” and enrolling in cooking classes, which she said, “I’m really freaking thrilled about it, girl, because I always wanted to be that girl that’s like, ‘I cooked. I’m the host. I made Beef Wellington from scratch.’”
On Feeling Like a Kid Again as a Mom
Ever since Palmer became a mom, she’s actually experienced a resurgence of those childhood feelings she missed out on.
“Life can be such a tragic comedy because how funny is it.. that now becoming an actual parent, and the responsibility I’ve always carried being more valid now than ever, has in fact given me the chance to feel what it’s like to be a kid again 🥹,” Palmer said on Instagram. “I get a chance to explore a lot of the things I missed out on with my son. His freedom is like, the most priceless gift to me. He is already teaching me so much, it’s like he awakened the little me inside that I thought was long gone. God never forgets, the irony always gets me 🤣🫶🏾🙏🏾.”
On Privilege
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the 2023 Black Music Action Coalition Gala, she said she wants her son Leodis to “use his resources, use his privilege for good.”
“I mean, that’s the whole point, right? We all continue to grow, each generation, we try to provide our children and the next generation with something more than what we had,” she said. “So he’s definitely gonna have more than what I had growing up. I want him to take that and use it to benefit others,” she continued. “Because I think that’s the point, you know? Why else are we here?”
On Her Breastfeeding Journey
In an interview with Essence, she talked about her breastfeeding journey.
“I think my breastfeeding journey was also very empowering because it was so difficult,” Palmer said. “And I wanted to give up at so many different points, but I just kept pushing myself and kept trying to figure it out. I just got this overwhelming sense that I can do anything… There were so many things I was always trying to change before, but now, my being enough for my son has let me know that I’m enough in the world.”
On ‘Bouncing Back’ as a Mom
Soon after welcoming her son, Keke Palmer spoke with People about motherhood and the postpartum period.
“There’s always this thing of, ‘How’d they do it?’ And I think for me, the main thing I would say to any new mom is do what you can when you can, whatever it is that makes you feel good,” she said, adding her two cents on the idea of “bouncing back.” “If it’s important to you, then hell yeah, put in the work Miss Girl. Get you whatever diet you want to do or whatever workout regimen that works for you. And if that’s not what you’re worried about, then don’t worry about it.”
On ‘Mommying’
“Mommy’ing is coming along if you were looking for an update,” Palmer said in an Instagram post discussing her new motherhood journey. “I have juggled quite a few careers but this is my greatest gig of all.”
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