Struggling moms, fear not. A woman online is saying it definitely gets better.
Erin Monroe (@erin.monroe_) has gone viral on TikTok for revealing that she’s entered a new phase of motherhood—after being a “baby and toddler mom,” she’s now a “kid mom”—and she’s not looking back. Monroe, 38, spoke to Newsweek about the realization she hopes other parents can find comfort in. Since her video was posted, it has received over 1.3 million views, 180,000 likes and over 6,000 comments.
“One day you realize that you just went to the zoo with your three kids and all you brought with you is a fanny pack with some hand sanitizer in it,” she said in the video. “No diaper bag…no mental gymnastics of having to figure out feeding schedules and nap schedules.”
@erin.monroe_/TikTok
“We had a great time and nobody had a meltdown…and then you realize that you’ve entered a new era of motherhood, and maybe you weren’t a bad mom, you just weren’t a baby and toddler mom,” she said. “I realize that I freaking love being a kid mom—and it’s okay if I didn’t love the baby and toddler stage.”
Monroe, mother of children 11, 9 and 5 years old, lives in upstate New York and said the realization was prompted by a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to the zoo.
“We all just decided over breakfast to go to the zoo,” she said. “While we were there, I had this moment walking hand in hand with the three of them when I realized how effortlessly fun the whole experience had been.”
When her children had been babies or toddlers, she said outings like this would be stressful—if not impossible—because all of the logistics to manage. There were feeding and nap schedules to navigate, not to mention the constant worry that often plagues new mothers with fragile tiny humans.
“Being a baby and toddler mom, specifically an under-2-years-old mom was really hard for me because I just felt like I was always in survival mode,” she said. “I was always so tired and on high alert, listening for a baby or making sure my toddler didn’t get into something that could hurt them.”
Now, Monroe says those days are behind her.
“Being a kid mom, I truly feel like I’ve found myself again,” she said. “I realized I made these three amazing people with my best friend, and they are so funny and smart, and their personalities are so big. I love hanging out with them and hearing what they have to say.”
Monroe wants parents to know that they don’t have to enjoy every second of parenthood. As children develop and change, so do parents. Viewers definitely appreciated the reminder.
“Father of a 9-month-old and 3-year-old,” @jjnguy wrote. “Needed this ray of hope to cling to.”
“It’s so nice to hear a mom praise a stage of motherhood. Always being told ‘just wait, it gets worse.’ Thank you,” @beccarussellsprouts wrote.
Some viewers beyond Monroe’s “kid mom” phase chimed in too—with even better news.
“Wait until you get to be an adult kid mom,” @suddenly_sara…again wrote. “I’m meeting my son in Florida tomorrow for vacation.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.