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Ilana | Raising Boys

@theilanastory

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Raising 4 boys into good men while unlearning what raised me.
Still a woman under all these roles.
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A little reintroduction.
I’m Ilana.

I write about motherhood, family culture, identity, and the beautiful contradictions of becoming.

If you’ve been here from the beginning, thank you.
If you’re new, welcome. 🤍 by @theilanastory

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3 months ago

I keep promises to everyone else. I’m learning to keep the ones I make to myself, too.

Seeing my friends. Showing up at the gym. Curling up with my family for a movie—with my phone out of reach.

These are the things I want my days to have room for. Friendship, strength, closeness. A little of me in the life I give so much of myself to. 🤍

What’s one promise to yourself you’re keeping this week? by @theilanastory

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19 days ago

After all this years, love is sometimes this simple: Reach for me. I'm still here. by @theilanastory

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a month ago

Hubby wakes up ready to sing, dance, and have a conversation.
I need a slower introduction to being awake. 😂
He brings coffee. We’ve found our rhythm. 🤍 by @theilanastory

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a day ago

I spend a lot of time getting to know who my boys are becoming.
I’m still curious about her, too. 💄
What she likes. What makes her feel pretty. What she wants to try next. by @theilanastory

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5 days ago

Apparently I’m raising independent thinkers. Very proud. Terrible news for my Halloween vision. 😂🎃

Every year I pitch the family costumes like this might finally be my year. Every year, everyone has their own creative direction.

I want them to be themselves. I would also like them to be themselves within a coordinated theme. Is that so much to ask? 🫣🤣

Are we matching in your house, or have you also lost control of the costume department? by @theilanastory

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2 days ago

Raising boys into men is a big responsibility.
Stopping for something sweet together is one of my favorite parts. 😂🤍
I want to remember to enjoy them while I’m raising them. by @theilanastory

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7 days ago

My boys think I’m the Halloween manners police. They have no idea how much personal growth went into this position. 😂🎃
The girl who caused chaos in Uruguay is now reminding everyone to say thank you and stay off the neighbors’ grass.
She’s still in here. She just has four boys to get home safely now.
Some Halloween stories can wait until they’re older. Much older. 👀🤣
Were you the polite trick-or-treater… or do you also have a past? 🫣 by @theilanastory

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4 days ago

Coffee in bed.
Nowhere to rush for a little while.
Someone leaning in for another kiss.
The kind of morning I wish I could make last longer.
Rich in ways I want to keep noticing. 🤍 by @theilanastory

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9 days ago

Hubby didn’t need convincing. “You birthed four kids. I can do this one.” And that was that.

What stayed with me wasn’t just his decision. It was that he didn’t assume the next thing would be mine to carry, too.

We were done having babies. My body had done a lot. He considered his part without me having to build a case for it.

Every couple gets to make their own decision. But I think it’s worth asking why birth control is so often treated as her responsibility—even when being done is something they both want.

How did this conversation go in your house? 👀 by @theilanastory

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9 days ago

Date night with hubby, but Karol G was the main character. 😂🩷
Dressed up, danced, stole a few kisses, and sang my little heart out. 💃🏻 by @theilanastory

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10 days ago

I can tell you what everyone in my house likes. Ask me what I want, and sometimes I still need a minute.

Not because I don’t have preferences. Because I’m used to considering everyone else’s before answering.

Being a woman, for me, has meant sorting through what I was taught, what my cultures expect, and what actually feels like mine.

The clothes. The friendships. The ambitions. The things I’m allowed to change my mind about without submitting a full explanation. 😂

I love being a mother and a wife. I also want to know myself beyond how well I fill those roles.

What’s something you love that has nothing to do with being needed? 🤍 by @theilanastory

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11 days ago