Keke Palmer Reveals the ‘Sacrifice’ She’s Making To Be a Better Mom to Baby Leo & Fans Praise Her Vulnerability

There’s no getting around it: motherhood is all about sacrifice. Practically from the minute you see those two pink lines you have to adjust your life around your baby, and it just continues once they are born. Not that it’s a bad thing — in fact, the responsibilities that come with parenthood can challenge you and make you grow as a person. That’s exactly what’s happening with Keke Palmer. The mom of one got candid about the things she is working to “sacrifice” for her 16-month-old son Leodis “Leo,” and it’ll make you emotional.

The Nope star, who shares Leo with ex Darius Jackson, shared a few selfies on Instagram this week of her and Leo. They’re laughing and making silly faces — and Leo is pure sunshine in every snap. “I just love my son so much. ????????????????????,” she wrote in the caption.

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Then she reflected on how wonderful it is to grow and help your kids without them every really knowing. “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 wrote. “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..”

Such a beautiful sentiment! No matter what you’re going through — breaking generational cycles of abuse, struggling with finances, dealing with a health issue, or something equally heavy — your child will be better off for it. And they won’t even realize until they are older, like we realize some of the things our parents have done for us now that we have kids. (I didn’t expect to be bawling on a Friday morning, thanks Keke!)

In her caption, the Bosses star also reflected on the personal sacrfices she is making for her son. “But in order for that to happen, as a parent we are often faced with challenges on our road to create space for our children to blossom,” Palmer wrote. “And I am constantly challenging myself to sacrifice fear, self loathing and any insecurity that would stop me from being everything he deserves. I will sacrifice the comfort in discomfort, just to be who he needs me to be!”

“I’m SO happy to be your mom Leodis, you have made me a better person you just don’t even know ????,” she added.

Why do I suddenly feel like I simultaneously need to hug my babies and my mom and tell them how much I appreciate them? Palmer’s vulnerable words are bringing all the tears and love — and I’m not the only one who thinks so.

“Whew. A word ????” one person wrote. Another said, “exactly. 100%. great job you two ??” “???? this caption is EVERYTHING & from one mom to the next…I totally agree,” someone else commented.

This isn’t the first time Palmer has dropped pearls of wisdom. In a March 2024 interview with PEOPLE, she shared how she is already working to balance her son’s individuality. “[I’m] definitely more selective with projects,” she told the outlet. “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.”

“You have to always think about that, with kids,” Palmer continued. “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.”

Before you go, check out what these celebrity parents had to say about their privacy-free life with kids.

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