Motherhood is the state of being a mother and raising children. It includes all the daily work of caring for kids: feeding them, keeping them safe, helping with homework, comforting them when they're sad, and teaching them how to be good people. A woman enters motherhood when she becomes a mother, whether by giving birth, adopting, or becoming a stepmother.

Motherhood involves both joy and sacrifice. Mothers often give up sleep to care for sick children, spend their own money on things their kids need, and put their children's needs ahead of their own plans. They celebrate their children's successes and worry about their problems. The bond between mother and child is one of the strongest human connections.

The experience of motherhood varies greatly. Some mothers work outside the home while raising children. Some stay home full-time. Some raise children alone, while others share the work with a partner. Throughout history and across cultures, motherhood has been recognized as important work that shapes the next generation.

People sometimes use motherhood figuratively to describe the origin of something, as in “necessity is the mother of invention,” meaning that needing something often leads people to create it.