Mom's honest video shows what it's really like to take a toddler on vacation
She wants to make memories so badly.
Taylor Wolfe expresses the stress that moms with toddlers feel on vacation.
Taking young children on a family vacation seems like a good idea. You leave the house, soak up some new scenery, spend time with your significant other, and most importantly, make memories. Lots and lots of unforgettable memories.
But as the old saying goes, no matter where you go, there you are. Just because you left the house doesn’t mean your children magically learn how to be flexible or sleep in new conditions. They don’t suddenly learn how to wait for the appropriate time to soil their diapers or become curious about new types of food.
You’re still parenting, but this time it’s at a hotel.
Taylor Wolfe, a mom, blogger, occasional comedian and shop owner, hit the nail on the head with a viral video contrasting the split personalities that many parents have while on vacation.
On one side, the mom is trying her best to be happy, live in the moment and make memories. Lots and lots of memories. However, on the other side, the trials and tribulations of having a toddler seem to get worse while away from home.
@thedailytay Am I grateful we can take vacations? 💯 Yes. But can I admit they’re not always palm trees and sunshine? Also yes. 🙃 but MEMORIES! #momsoftiktok #foryoupage #momtiktok #vacation
“I’m having so much fun. I’m so glad we did this. Traveling with a toddler is hard, but it’s worth it,” she begins in her parody video.
Smash cut to her looking super stressed out, staring down at her child, who won’t fall asleep. “She’s not down yet. That’s why I’m sitting here. It’s not dark enough!” she yells.
Then we're back to the happy mom who’s hopeful that her daughter will have a good day at the resort because she had a good nap, so “It’s all good.”
Smash cut to her sitting over her young daughter, “I don’t know why we did this!”
Throughout the rest of the vacation, Taylor finds ways to rationalize her decision to leave the house with a toddler. “There's seasons of life and this is a hard one. It's short, but it's worth it."
The video struck a chord with a lot of the people in the comments section on Instagram who have lived through the same stressful situation and tried to keep a positive attitude.
“This is why I take a lot of nice photos of my kids on vacation so I can falsely remember that I enjoyed every second of it,” Cartwright wrote.
“That is not a vacation. That is ‘away from home parenting,'” Bestlifeorbust added.
“And then sweardagawd in six months your memories will come up on your phone and you will forget any ounce of stress you had and start planning another adventure. It’s a weird universe trick,” Shauna_Newman wrote.
Shauna may be right. Some studies show that even though raising young kids is particularly stressful, as we move on, we tend to forget the struggles and cherish the good times.
An article by Stephanie H. Murray published in The Atlantic noted that sociologist Daniel Gilbert likens the stresses of raising a toddler to watching a baseball game that remains scoreless into the ninth inning. “Fans remember the thrilling moments of the game-winning home run and not much else,” the article reads.