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Nara Smith has responded to being labelled a “traditional wife” by speaking openly about her role as a working mother.
The 22-year-old model, who shares three children with husband Lucky Blue Smith, addressed some of the criticism she faced on social media during an interview with Harper's Bazaarpublished on August 22. While she acknowledged that she has been referred to as a “tradwife” – a phrase for a married woman who takes on traditional gender roles from the 1950s – she said she wouldn't see herself that way.
“That’s one of the stories that I find really hard to understand — the traditional wife, whatever that is,” said Smith, who is known for her viral TikTok videos about cooking for her family and husband. “You don’t see me getting on a plane, flying to New York, modeling, coming back, all while having a newborn baby, paying bills, filming content, dressing my kids.”
Smith went on to criticize how she has been categorized simply by her responsibilities as a mother, rather than also by her career.
“Being pigeonholed into a certain category, just because people think I’m working like a slave, is very strange to me. I’m a working mother who can go about her day in a very different way than others. [someone with] “A normal nine-to-five job would do it,” he explained.
She was asked about the viral reaction to her performance in her videos, some of which show her making things like gum and Coca-Cola from scratch. However, according to Smith, she doesn't necessarily think the videos she makes are a big deal.
“I’m a girly girl. I love dressing up. I love fashion,” she said. “Sometimes my outfits aren’t the most practical, but fashion isn’t always practical. That’s what I do. I post videos of me cooking for my kids and my husband. It’s not really that deep.”
Despite her busy schedule throughout her personal and professional life, Smith still admits that she is unsure of how to define what she does for a living.
“I never know what to say when people ask me [what I do]“Technically, I do create content,” he says. “But I just live my life and share it with people, which a lot of people do.”
Smith has already responded to the assumptions that have been made about her life since she married her husband in 2020. The couple are now parents to three children: Rumble Honey, three, Slim Easy, two, and Whimsy Lou Smith, four months.
In a video posted to TikTok in March, Smith first subtly discussed the “traditional wife” accusations she's received while acknowledging that her lifestyle isn't for everyone.
“I always wanted to be a young mother because when I was a kid, my dad always told us that he regretted having kids later in life,” she said. “So I followed that advice and it’s one of the best decisions I could have made, and I know it’s not for everyone.”
She added: “I was always very mature and independent and I did a lot of things at a very young age. So I never feel like I’m missing out on any of the partying, any of that, because I’ve done it all.”
She also addressed some of her viral cooking videos, clarifying that cooking is simply a passion of hers that stems from her interest in wellness.
“I’ve always loved cooking,” she explained. “I only recently became passionate about it last year. It all started when I had very severe eczema and I had to make sure that what I was eating was good for my body. And that’s how I got into the world of nutrition, food and cooking.”
