7-year-old wrote hilarious essay about mom ‘abandoning’ her — and moms everywhere could relate when they realized the actual truth
For many moms, even a few hours away from home can somehow feel “too much.” A simple night out can suddenly turn into guilt, drama, and… in some cases, a hilarious childhood tragedy on paper. A similar moment was shared on Instagram by Stephanie (@clovakids), a mother, who soon had thousands laughing, because every mom related to it. Stephanie and her husband, Nick McArthur, sat down at their daughter’s parent-teacher conference, as reported by TODAY on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. However, they didn’t expect a ‘mom abandonment’ story proudly presented as a 15-page school “book.” Inside the carefully collated pages was an opening line that stopped them in their tracks. “Has your mom ever left? Well, mine has. Let me tell you a little about that.” What followed sounded like a heartbreaking confession from then, 7-year-old Gwen.
Page after page described how her mom had “left,” and how “it is not fun when your mom goes away.” But the truth was far less dramatic and much funnier. Stephanie had simply gone out for dinner on a party bus with friends to celebrate a 40th birthday. Meanwhile, the kids were far from abandoned. Gwen, along with 10-year-old Clayton and 3-year-old Penelope, spent the night with what Stephanie proudly calls their “hands-on ‘Super Dad.’” There were milkshakes, dinner, and a movie. A pretty great evening by most standards.
Still, in Gwen’s eyes, the night was momentous enough to deserve documentation. She even wrote about waking up and discovering Stephanie was back home. “When I awoke, I was shocked!” And just like that, every mom reading understood the deeper truth: children feel their presence so deeply that even a few hours away feels enormous. But that doesn’t stop the mom guilt. Stephanie captioned her Instagram post with a line many women agreed to. “Just in case anyone was wondering how easy it is for moms to go have fun alone for three hours…”
Many parents flooded the comments to share their own dramatic kid moments. @lovelyspaceships wrote, “My son still brings up the time I left him. I was in labor.” kellykel13_ joked about how kids can be relentless, “Why are kids so dramatic. Whenever I travel for work, my daughter accuses me of abandonment.” @a_lilac_wood seriously highlighted the issue, “If this doesn’t illustrate the invisible load, I don’t know what.” That “invisible load” has a name.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “mom guilt” describes the uneasy feelings some mothers have when they believe they aren’t meeting personal or outside expectations of parenting. There's always something or the other that makes them feel they are falling short. Gwen ended her heartfelt and unintentionally comedic book with a final flourish: “Wow, my mom is finally here! Yay! It is not fun when your mom goes away. Oh well.” And Stephanie? She’s choosing humor, community, and the reminder that sometimes, moms truly deserve that three-hour break, even if their kids later turn it into a dramatic masterpiece.
For more videos, you can follow @clovakids on Instagram.
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