When you’re interviewing a celebrity mom or, really, any successful woman, there’s always that awkward moment when you wonder, “Should I ask her how she maintains work-life balance?” Some women are weary of hearing this question; they receive it all the time. Do we ever ask this of men? Others see it as necessary: implying that parenting while pursuing a profession isn’t a high-stakes balancing act is deceptive, and they don’t want to contribute to the notion that “having it all” is simple. Catherine Reitman, creator and actress of the smash show Workin’ Moms and mother of two kids, Jackson, 9, and Liam, 6, obviously gets it a lot, and she has an excellent response. “I’m not offended by the question,” she tells Romper over the phone. “I’m upset with the answer because I don’t believe it exists.” “It is difficult to be a working mother.”

For six seasons, this level of honesty and intelligence has connected with IRL working women (and parents of all stripes). Workin’ Moms, which has been renewed for a (final) seventh season, has delved into topics ranging from breastfeeding and postpartum depression, childcare, family leave, and the social politics of school-age playdates—subjects that have rarely been addressed on television, let alone with the accuracy or emotional depth that the show is known for. In fact, Reitman tells me that when the show originally aired, no one knew what they were in for, from journalists to viewers. They anticipated sitcom plots and gags about poopy diapers. (You can’t blame them entirely; it’s what we’ve come to expect from parenting on television.) Reitman is eager to clear up any misunderstandings.

“If you watch our program, you’ll see that the plot proportion of us interacting with our kids is probably less than 20%,” she says. “This is a show about women outside of their nurseries. “It’s about women who happen to be mothers and who pursue their aspirations shamelessly.”

Initially, Reitman modeled each character on distinct characteristics of her postpartum self—wrath, vanity, ambition, and despair—but she is pleased that the characters have taken on lives all their own (“a true homage to the quality of our actors”). Similarly, the themes and difficulties confronting these people are beyond anything she could have imagined when she initially started the series. It has altered, expanded, and evolved, much like motherhood or children.

“When we first sold the show, my only idea of what this show could be was the identity problem of the first time you returned to work after having a baby,” she explains. “Of course, as the program evolved, so did my children.” You’re dealing with fellow moms at Mommy & Me early on, and your move back into the job is now, oh my gosh, I’m dealing with the principals of my kids, who are presently in first grade, and the realities of my children’s schedules are requiring more or less of me. “It’s all part of the normal flow of motherhood as your children get older.”

Despite being in “other seas,” the piece has remained extremely personal for Reitman, who adds that she created it “not as an actor, but as a mother.” When I ask if being so honest about her problem is tiring her out, she pauses for a bit before erupting into a big, hearty laugh.

“I apologize for laughing,” she says. “Well, you know, certainly!” But I’m sure it’s not exhausting for you [as a mother] in any way! This is why the program is successful: It’s not because I have a more complex, intriguing understanding of parenthood than anyone else. It’s as if to say, “Of course, this is depleting!”

“Yeah,” I say, laughing. “But, you know, there’s being a working mom and then putting it out there in a manner that I don’t believe most people do: for public consumption.”

“Maybe I’m in the proper job for my personality type,” she responds. “I’m simply sharing the most honest version of my life, and other people are connecting to that.” I had no idea that would be the case in season one. Oh my God, I thought, I’m going to lose the audience, but you know what? I’ll just tell you the most honest version of my tale. It’s not taxing after six seasons. “My life’s obligations are, of course, hard, but I know I’ve had it pretty good.”

It’s a challenging but wonderful duality that she hopes her children, who were two and five weeks old when the program began filming, may grasp in its entirety.

“[Parents] are our closest teachers when it comes to going to school.” “This is how we handle failure; this is how we handle victory,” she observes. “I genuinely appreciate what I do, and I feel incredibly blessed that my kids are actually experiencing my struggle.” They’re getting a taste of what’s essential to me. “And even when I don’t accomplish it or achieve the objective, kids see that passion in their mother, which is tremendously fulfilling.”

Seasons 1–6 of Workin’ Moms are now available on Netflix. The last season will air in the winter of 2023.