Mother says she was a 'fun person' before having children and many are finding it so relatable

Motherhood is a rewarding yet challenging time in a woman's life as they invest their time and energy into raising children. It comes with its own sacrifices and hard times, but Libby Ward is trying to be honest about it all. She has a TikTok page, @diaryofanhonestman, where she talks about her own experiences, which many find relatable and funny. One of these videos, from last September, features Ward doing a jovial robotic chicken dance while also sharing her realistic motherhood experience, per Good Morning America.

In the short video, she says, "One thing about me is that when I was growing up, I was a really fun person to be around. And so I got married to my husband young, and we did so many fun things and it was so great, but then we decided to have some children." She continues, "And I love them very much, but I was really overwhelmed because no one told me that you have to keep thinking literally all day and all night and anticipating everybody's every single need, and deciding when to feed everyone and what to feed them and where they go, and ... paying bills and doing all the things in my brain that you can't see."

She says at the end of the video, "And that made me so much less fun than I was before. And then I was resentful and jealous of my husband because he was still able to be so fun. And so I talk about this, because I know I'm not the only one." The mother of two from Ontario, Canada, succinctly captured the complex reality of what parenting could be like in less than a minute. The video gathered 2.6 million views and thousands of comments. TikTok user @maxrebosblueballz commented, "I really wish more people would acknowledge The Mental Load, it's not just doing chores and cooking, it's emotionally and mentally taxing as hell."

Another woman @katvonmea said, "Husband asks why I always look stressed out on vacations. Because I had to plan & remember everything and you keep asking me what we are doing next!" TikTok user @pansykelly commented, "Wow. I know this is comical but you broke it down in a way that makes so much sense. I’m so overwhelmed. Thanks for letting me know it’s OK."

Ward told the outlet, "I just wanted to make a piece of content that made people laugh, made people feel seen, made people feel validated and made moms know that there wasn't something wrong with them for getting overwhelmed or for not being the fun parent." She is also realistic about her experience and acknowledged that not everyone would be able to relate to what she has been through or is currently going through. She said, "I don't like to tell mothers that it will naturally just get easier to be fun as your kids get older because the reality is, if you don't have a partner or if you have a partner who's not available or not willing to share in a load of parenting and taking care of the household tasks, that's going to limit your capacity to do those things." 

Ward wants to highlight the struggles that parents face, especially the mental health problems related to parenthood, as a full-time content creator. She said, "My mission is to really open up hard conversations that aren't being heard about motherhood so that I can inspire change in the hearts of mothers and the homes across Canada and the U.S. so that women can feel more balanced and prioritize themselves." 

Ward said her major message is one of empowerment for other mothers who can be having a hard time one day or feeling great the next. Ward said, "By taking care of your own needs, you can be the parent you want to be. You are worth taking care of and by doing that, you're gonna be better able to show up for your kids in the way that you want to show up."