Mom's TikTok about parenting exhaustion goes viral

Annalee Ford, a mom of 2, describes the "pure exhaustion" that comes with parenting.

[VMarieJx]

As a mother of 3, I can positively & wholeheartedly say I understand EXACTLY how she feels.

[ahill]

Yes this is relatable. My kids are adults now, 18 and 22, and the guilt I feel over those yelling moments of our past haunt me, still. I needed more breaks, more sleep, more moral support… and we all paid the price for it.

[BombshElle_]

I just want to HUG THIS MOTHER.
As an adult w/o kids, it's hard to empathize with what parents go through. You hear someone's screaming child and assume that they don't know how to raise their kid. That's not true in some cases. I think parents, especially single parents, get burnt-out FAST. This mom is spent. I hope she's able to find a solution to whatever the problem is in the mornings so that she and her little ones can have peace of mind. ❤

[kortni_animations]

"It takes a village to raise a child." Parents deserve more support.

[pleasedontlookatme]

I remember one day when I was really young, me and my 2 siblings were in the van coming back home from weekend practice with my mom and we were giving her an above-average incredibly difficult day that day. Yelling and fighting each other in the van, kicking and screaming. We were a few blocks away from home and she just started crying and pulled over and yelled at us to get out and walk the rest of the way.

I've never seen my mom break like that before, and I realized that day the emotional impact it has on her when we miss-behave. I think this was actually a good learning experience for your kids, it lets them know that their actions impact others. I've since then matured and have apologized profusely to my mom for all the mischief I caused as a kid, mama's doing alright now and I love her dearly :)

[mermaidofaloha]

Every mom has those mornings, but you are brave enough to talk about it. You handled it perfectly. And sharing this will help so many others learn how to do better too. God bless you. What lucky kids to have you for a mom. Forgiveness is an important thing to learn and be able to do. You are teaching your kids well. Prayers for you and your family.🙏❤️

[cymxxrd]

Oh honey I don’t think there is a mother out there who hasn’t yelled at their kids, u r not a monster u r just human. ❤❤

[sonya]

I have nothing but respect for parents, but videos like these make me happy to be child free at 31.

[sativadiva]

Oh Mama, I feel for you. My hubby and I decided young that we should not be parents. We weren't mentally ready or prepared for breathing life into another being. I give you mad respect and high praise for doing what you do. Keep strong Mama!

[atchomama]

Ugh I feel this in my bones. Have a 2.5 yo wild toddler and a 3 week old girl. Hormones, sleep deprivation and just pure exhaustion makes it almost painful to control my emotions all day at home with the 2. I power through and find some patience because they both don’t deserve any wrath from me no matter how bad I feel. I screamed at my son a week ago and I could see the fear in his tear puddled eyes. It was heartbreaking and I really learned from that!

[leahdelapena]

As an Asian mom and an Asian daughter, we were taught very early on to "fear our mother". Now that I'm a mother myself, it makes perfectly sense why we're raised like this. Kids need to understand who's the one with authority and learning them to fear you isn't always bad. It builds character and discipline. Of course I'm not saying they should be afraid of you all the time, consistency and routine checks of expectations and responsibilities teach them that. I empathize with this mom and if I could offer you a little bit of advice, don't feel bad about screaming at them and scaring them. You're human too and kids need to learn to fear consequences of their bad behaviour.

[Me]

*Not* having kids was the single best decision I ever made.

[Skatamska]

Exactly the reason why I’m childfree. I would be so miserable having to live like this. I would scream all day too.

[lisamarie-vz]

Thanks so much for posting, this is normal and never talked about. I applaud you brave lady 👏👏👏 you’ve helped and are helping many moms and dads in the world. Yes this is perfectly normal, it happens. You handled it very well. ❤

[stacieexolover]

I’m so glad I saw this thank you for being so honest. I am a first time mom and even with my daughter being 13 months now it’s soooo challenging, add in the fact that I have to donut alone. I had it so easy when River first came home. She slept through the night. I have been so lucky with her first year. But now she sleeps when she wants she had tantrums. My grandmother has been my rock and she recently said something similar. How can you discipline them when they are learning everything for the first time. For any Mommy that comes across this post. Believe in your self, and try not to be so hard on yourself. Hang in there mama the days will seem long and some of them very rougher than others. But just remember your little ones love you and they are learning through this journey with you. They don’t always know and it’s not wrong to want to raise an obedient child. I just honestly think that part does not come until there are at least a little more older. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[anitar]

I applaud you for your effort and patience and yes also for being real and showing what it’s like to be a mom. You remind me of my beautiful daughter who continues to meet every challenge that presents itself as a mom. I am so proud of her and I continue to learn from her. Raising kids can get messy sometimes and it sucks to hear a 4 yr old utter”I hate you” but the day will come when that child will look at you in the eyes and thank you for your strength. The day will also come when your children will have their own children and actually ask you, How you were able to handle them as children😂😂
Just remember, “this too shall pass”, I know this might not help at all through these challenging times but you are NOT a monster, you are a beautiful mom that chooses to stay authentic, transparent and model as best you can what it’s like to work through our “humanness” They are very lucky to have you♥️

[nu]

i'm not even a mom but as the older sister i get so stressed with my lil brother, at least when i can't deal with it anymore i can go to my mom and she'll take care of him, but she can't. Just wanted to thank every mommy out there, i know you're trying your best and that no one taught you how to be a good parent, i want you to know that i value your effort and that even if you don't hear it very often, i'm so proud of you❤

[jenniferadels]

I can relate! I'm a single mom of a soon to be 15 year old boy, and he bullies me and is verbally abusive. He had been diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, and PTSD, while I suffer with PTSD, and borderline personality disorder, stemming from physical, emotional and sexual abuse from my childhood into adulthood. Being a parent is a 24/7 lifelong job, and it's a blessing, but it is the most difficult job in the world. Being a parent doesn't come with a manual, and there is no one way to raise them because every child is different, and every circumstance is different. Just this past Tuesday I lost it with my son after waking up at 5 a.m. and having to start the day with that verbal abuse. It triggered the PTSD to the point that I was like an animal cornered and lashing out. I had to leave for the day with no contact with my son for over 12 hrs. He was freaking out, but I needed to go to a peaceful place to decompress because I was about to get seriously physical with him. Long story short, without all the details in between, we are now getting some serious help because if his behavior isn't changed now, he will carry it into his adulthood, and this generational curse of abuse won't be broken. Thank you for being brave and sharing your raw emotion with the public, despite the backlash you might face. Kudos to parents out there whose parenting life is rainbows and sunshine, but for the rest of us who struggle, let me say this: we are creating a legacy and an inheritance. What we pour in will be poured out into future generations. We can break generational curses to create a brighter, better future. Keep fighting the good fight, and don't get weary in well doing, knowing and understanding that the reward is in the legacy and inheritance that you will leave behind. We struggle today, but soon to come, the manifestation of all the good and hard work you poured in, will shine through your children as adults. As you watch them grow, you shall see your hard work has paid off❤😊

[myleiymyleiy]

Yes, the 24/7 mental work is so hard. So much harder than I ever thought.

[lupetorres]

I had six my youngest 5 my oldest 15 with so much pain in myself and 6 other humans going through so much at times it was crazy emotional. Your doing great by talking to them about your feelings ❤a big hug from a understanding mom