Woman Reveals Reality Behind the 'Fun' Mom Image She's Known For

Amid glowing influencers singing the praises of motherhood, one woman is arguing for a more realistic representation.

Instagram creator Rini Frey @ownitbabe has gone viral for her video depicting life as a mom struggling with anxiety. She explains the reality behind her "easy-going" look: stress over things not going to plan, having no time for herself and toddler tears. Since it was posted on March 8, her video has received over 15,000 likes.

Frey, a 34-year-old mother of two children aged 3 and 7 months, shared a carousel of photos on her Instagram page. The first image in the carousel shows Frey and her child with the caption, "You seem like a fun, easy-going mom!" However, as viewers swipe through the rest of the images, they are met with photos showing Frey in tears, with follow-up captions that reveal the challenges of motherhood.

"If you're an anxious mom that sometimes gets sad that she isn't 'the fun, easy going mom'—hi, that's me, too," Frey captioned the video.

Frey spoke to Newsweek about what it means for her to be an "anxious mom" and function in the day-to-day, noting the challenges of navigating motherhood while managing her mental health.

"There's pressure to do it all as a mom. Be the fun parent, but also make all the doctor's appointments and handle all their big feelings," she said. "It's a lot of responsibility and often, things don't go as planned."

In terms of coping mechanisms, Frey said self-care is paramount—along with practical and emotional support.

"I try to take deep breaths, ask my husband for support, and even communicate to my 3-year-old that 'Mommy just needs two minutes to calm herself down'," she said.

Along with her husband, Frey explained the helpful role her in-laws play in her children's upbringing, saying that they live near her family for half of the year and help manage the workload of parenthood.

Frey offered advice to her younger self journeying into motherhood, and for new or expecting mothers: "Lower your expectations," she said.

"Your kids don't care if your house looks tidy or you all look put together or if the day goes exactly like you planned it," Frey said. "They just want you to be present in their lives."

Frey's post reminds mothers that they don't have to be picture-perfect to be good mothers, nor do they have to get it all together when struggling with their mental health. Simple love and resilience are enough.

"If you're an anxious person like me, it can easily lead to spirals if you don't have the tools to work through it," Frey said. "I try to lower the expectations I set for myself and realize that things will never be perfect, I just have to keep showing up as best I can."