Beside her 15 Grammys and sold-out concerts, Adele is just your typical mom.
May 5 marks the singer’s 29th birthday, and to celebrate, we’ve rounded up some of the most relatable things she’s said about parenting her 4-year-old son, Angelo, from the hilarious to the emotional.
Here are 10 times Adele has just really understood what it means to be a parent:
That time she explained how her kid changed her life for the better:
“He makes me be a dickhead, and he makes me feel young and there’s nothing more grounding than a kid kicking off and refusing to do what you’re asking of them. It used to be that my own world revolved around me, but now it has to revolve around him.”
That time she summed up parenthood in three simple words:
“It’s f**king hard. I thought it would be easy. ‘Everyone f**king does it, how hard can it be?’ Ohhhhh ... I had no idea.”
That time she admitted during her Grammy acceptance speech that she “lost a lot” of herself when she became a mother:
“In my pregnancy and through becoming a mother I lost a lot of myself, and then I’ve struggled and I still do struggle being a mum. It’s really hard. But tonight winning this really feels full circle and like a bit of me has come back to myself.”
That time she said the sweetest thing about becoming a parent:
“When I became a parent, I felt like I was truly living. I had a purpose, where before I didn’t.”
That time she talked about the importance of supporting your child:
“I can’t wait to know who his best friends are going to be, who his girlfriend or his boyfriend is going to be or what movies he likes... Whatever my kid wants to do or be I will always support him no matter what.”
That time she mentioned her kid’s “grubby little hands” and constantly being touched by them:
“I don’t go out like this. I look like a bedraggled mother; I look like anyone else. When I’m with my kid I’m in leggings and a jumper and a pair of Converse because the grubby little hands are going to mark anything nice.”
That time she broke the stigma of postpartum depression by opening up about her experience:
“I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I was very reluctant. My boyfriend said I should talk to other women who were pregnant, and I said, ‘F**k that, I ain’t hanging around with a f**kin’ bunch of mothers.’ Then, without realizing it, I was gravitating towards pregnant women and other women with children, because I found they’re a bit more patient. You’ll be talking to someone, but you’re not really listening, because you’re so f**kin’ tired.”
That time she wasn’t scared to admit she sometimes needed a break from parenting:
“I love my son more than anything, but on a daily basis, if I have a minute or two, I wish I could do whatever the f**k I wanted, whenever I want. Every single day I feel like that.”
That time she was honest about occasionally feeling guilty as a parent:
“I’m enjoying touring, but at times I feel guilty because I’m doing this massive tour, and even though my son is with me all the time, on certain nights I can’t put him to bed. I never feel guilty when I’m not working. You’re constantly trying to make up for stuff when you’re a mom.”
That time she got real about her family keeping her grounded:
“If my relationship with Simon or my relationship with Angelo started to flounder a bit now, I would pull out of my tour. My life is more important to me than anything I’m doing because how the f**k am I supposed to write a record if I don’t have a life? If I don’t have a real life, then it’s game over anyway.”
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