Former Miss Universe Australia winner Jesinta Franklin has opened up on a sad reality of motherhood that she feels goes largely unaddressed.
Franklin, 35, resides in Queensland with her three children, and WA-raised husband Lance “Buddy” Franklin, a retired AFL champion.
Penning an honest reflection to her SubStack, the model is concerned she has become a “bad friend” to those she still holds dear, but no longer has time or energy for.
Franklin said before she became a mother, she would often be referred to as “Mum” by friends — coming to their aid at a moment’s notice and always quick to respond.
“Now I’m a mum of three and, some days, I struggle to respond to a text message,” she admitted.
“I have left friends on read for weeks. Embarrassingly, sometimes months.
“It’s not because I don’t want to respond. I’ll read a message while making breakfast and think, I’ll reply properly when I get a minute.”
Franklin is juggling life as a mother to Bam, eight months, as well as Tellulah, 6, and Rocky, 5, alongside her ongoing brand commitments, and ownership of WA-founded business, Honey for Life.
The mother feels she’s “started again” by having her third child almost five years after her second.
She said friends who were once in the same boat had left the early parenting phase, and no longer shared her schedule or priorities.
“There was something comforting about being in the thick of it together,” she recalled.
“But now many of those friends have moved into the next stage. Their children are getting older, just like my eldest two are.”
When the mother does find the energy to open her phone, and catch up on unread messages that have only multiplied, sometimes she doesn’t reply at all.
Franklin said time has helped her to realise the value of the friendships she does possess, and how precious they are.
However, she feels her diminished capacity to show up for them like she once did has made her feel like a bad friend, despite wishing she was more involved.
“That has been one of the quieter things I’ve had to navigate in motherhood,” Franklin lamented.
“There is so much conversation about the parts of yourself that change when you become a mother; your body, your career, your relationship, your identity. But I don’t think we talk enough about friendship.”
Franklin understands the needs of her three children come first.
She hopes this “season” of her life is just that, and that she is eventually able to replenish her lost capacity so that she can attend birthdays she had previously missed, or stay on top of those rolling conversations, once her children are older.
“Maybe I’ll even become the friend doing the 1am club pick-up again,” the mother posited.
The Franklins moved to a sprawling country estate in the Gold Coast hinterland late last year, in time for the birth of their youngest son Bam.
They had planned major renovations at the property, which began in August.
“Over the next 12 months, this home will undergo an incredible transformation. What currently stands will become an expansive five-bedroom family home that balances timeless farmhouse charm with a refined, modern aesthetic,” Franklin shared to the estate’s social media page.
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