The Daily Mix

So I was thinking about saving this post for Mothers Day. It seems like a topic that’s perfect for Mothers Day.. Then I thought about it. I realized that every day is like Mothers Day when you are a mom. I mean being a mom is something that you do every day not just on Mother’s Day. So it really does not matter which day I post this because Mother’s Day is basically every day, for moms.

Every day we are taking care of the kids loving them teaching them cleaning up weird sticky things and wondering if we are doing any of this right. So why do we wait for Mothers Day in May to talk about taking care of mothers, like us? We should be talking about taking care of mothers every day because mothers are taking care of the kids every day.

I got really excited. I found these movies and shows that really made me think and they even made me cry but it was a good kind of cry. These movies and shows made me feel less alone when it comes to being a mother and I just had to share them with you.

To be honest I think there are a lot of movies like this being made all the time. Netflix is always putting out movies and shows. So we will probably talk about movies like this again.. For now I want to tell you about the movies I have been watching lately that are really good, for me.

For When You Need a Reminder to Love Yourself

Dumplin’

This movie really got to me. It is about learning to accept yourself how you feel about your body and the complicated way mothers and daughters interact with each other. Jennifer Aniston is in this movie and to be honest it made me cry (In a good way). The movie is about self-acceptance. It shows the tough parts of mother-daughter relationships. Jennifer Aniston does a job, in this movie and that is why it made me cry.

We spend a lot of time teaching our kids to love themselves to be happy, with who they’re and to not care what other people think. But are we actually showing our kids what it means to really love themselves? This movie made me think about my son and how he is always watching me. He sees how I talk about my body and how I take care of myself. Our kids see if we are doing things that make us happy or if we are just trying to be what someone else thinks we should be. Our kids are always watching us. They learn from what we do.

I don’t think a movie can fix all our problems. Movies like this are just a good way to remind us that loving ourselves is not a bad thing. We need to love ourselves and take care of ourselves because self love is necessary.

the Life list (2025)

This newer movie is about a young woman whose mom leaves her with a “life list“. The life list contained a list of goals she wrote as a teenager. The list is about doing what she really wanted to do. It is about being brave enough to live fully again, doing things that scare her and also going on a self-recovery journey.

I watched this one late at night after my son went to bed, and I found myself thinking: What’s on my life list? What have I been putting off because “I’m too busy” or “I’ll do it later”?

If you are in that season where you feel like you have lost yourself a bit in the chaos of being a mother this one might get you thinking about motherhood and what it means to you. Motherhood can be really tough. It is easy to get caught up in taking care of everyone else and forget about yourself and what you want. This is especially true, for mothers who are trying to balance everything at a time. The chaos of motherhood is something that many mothers face and it can be hard to deal with.

For Finding Your Voice Again

Moxie

Amy Poehler directed this, and it’s about a teenage girl who discovers her mom’s old feminist zine and decides to start her own movement at school. But here’s the thing—it’s equally about the mom rediscovering the parts of herself she thought were gone.

You know that version of you from before kids? The one who had big dreams, strong opinions, and a fire in her belly? She’s still there. She didn’t disappear. She’s just been buried under laundry and tantrums and the mental load of managing everyone’s schedule.

This movie reminded me that I don’t have to choose between being a good mom and being the person I used to be. I can be both.

For the Empty Nest (or Almost There) Phase

Otherhood

Okay, I’m not in this stage yet. My son is only three. But I watched this one anyway because Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette, and Felicity Huffman? Yes, please. (The last time I saw Felicity Huffman was in Desperate Housewives, so it was nice to see her-it felt like seeing an old friend.)

This one is about three moms whose adult sons have basically forgotten they exist. So they show up unannounced to reconnect with their sons but the journey becomes just as much about rediscovering themselves.

Even though I’m not there yet, it made me think: Who will I be when my son doesn’t need me all the time? What kind of life would I have built for myself outside of being a mother?

I am starting to ask this question while my child is little. The reason I am doing this is that I do not want to wake up one day and realize I forgot to build a life that’s mine too. I want to make sure I have a life that belongs to me, a life that’s separate from being a parent to my child.

For Remembering the Power of Friendship

Wine Country

Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and the rest of the gang head to Napa Valley for a 50th birthday trip. The trip ends up being funny and messy. It also has honest talks about getting older, relationships, and what happens when life doesn’t go the way you wanted it to.

I really love this one because it reminds me that my friendships are very important. The women who knew me before I became a mom are special. They are the ones who still call me by my name, not “Mom”. Those relationships are precious.

As a mom, it’s easy to forget about friendships when you have so much to do. But this movie reminded me that having these connections are also a part of taking care of myself too.

If You’ve Got Time for a Series

Workin’ Moms (7 seasons)

This show is really messy and also very funny. It is real you know in a way that most parenting content’s not. It’s about moms who are trying to balance their jobs, their relationships and raising their kids. They don’t want to lose their minds while doing all of these things and are just trying their best. That is what makes the show so funny and relatable.

I have been watching this one during nap times and late nights, and I felt seen. Like, genuinely seen. The mom guilt. All these impossible expectations that people have of mothers. Even when you are trying your best, it still feels like you are not doing enough. 

Also read: MOM GUILT IN 2026: WHY I’M DONE APOLOGIZING (AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO)

If you need permission to stop trying to be perfect and just be yourself then you should really watch this.

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce

Imagine a show like Sex and the City, but this time for moms navigating divorce, dating in their 40s, and starting their lives all over again. The show is about women who are putting their lives back together after everything has gone wrong and finding out that they are actually a lot stronger than they ever thought they could be.

Even if you’re not going through a divorce, the themes of starting over, finding yourself again, and refusing to settle? They are also important.

Why This Actually Matters

The thing is, self-development is not, about reading another self-help book or signing up for a course that you will probably never finish. Sometimes self-development means watching a movie or a show and seeing your own life story happening on the screen. Sometimes it means crying on the couch and realizing that you’re not the only one going through this.

These movies and shows reminded me that:

• My identity matters beyond being “Mom”
• It’s not too late to chase dreams or rediscover passions
• Self-love is a journey, not a destination
• My friendships are worth protecting
• My son is watching how I take care of myself, and that matters too

So tonight, when you are done with the bedtime routine and the dishes and you have gone over everything you need to do tomorrow you should maybe treat yourself to one of these. You deserve stories that see you, inspire you, and remind you of how strong you really are.

And hey, if you find any other great self-development movies for moms on Netflix or wherever, let me know! I’m always looking for my next late-night watch after my son goes to bed.

What are your favorite self-development films? Drop them in the comments, I’d love to add them to my watch list!

Note: Netflix’s catalog changes by region and updates frequently, so availability might vary where you are.