Viral Video Jokes About the All-to-Real Naptime Freedom Paralysis

When it comes to parenting, there are few things quite as magical as a home reduced to silence by naptime. Whether you’ve finally got a moment of peace after getting your 4-month-old down or are amazed that all members of your three-under-three are taking a snooze at the same time, there’s nothing quite like the peace and freedom of naptime. The only problem comes in deciding what to do now?

Emily Vondy, @thevondyfam on TikTok, recently took to social media to illustrate the all-too-familiar feeling of having the world at your fingertips during a house-wide naptime and no idea how to decide what to do.

In her now-viral video, Vondy enters the room and comes to the shocking realization that all of her children are asleep. Just as she questions if she’s dreaming, the “All Your Kids Are Napping” fairy magically appears, and as Vondy states that “fairies aren’t real,” her imaginary fairy responds, “Neither is this current situation, but here we are.”

Before Vondy can take a deep breath, the fairy launches into a long list of things the mom-of-five can do while her kids nap. “Do you remember how to shower? It’s been so long,” the fairy jokes. “But you know you’ll want to work out first cause you’ll get sweaty,” she adds. “You’ll want to start the laundry first because then it’ll be done by the time you’re done,” she notes. Binge your favorite show? Tackle your to-do list? Start a grocery order and catch up on your New Year’s resolutions? As more and more choices pile up, Vondy begins to spiral.

“Okay, it’s too much, it’s too much,” Vondy exclaims sinking down into her couch. “Shower, groceries, chores…” Despite pleas by “the fairy” to make a list and prioritize, soon Vondy is catatonic, staring off into space. As the “mom gets a nap unicorn” appears, the fairy explains that she’s not sleeping. “It’s freedom paralysis—too many options, she’s overwhelmed,” the fairy says. “Let’s just let her buffer for a bit. She’ll probably just lie there until one of them wakes up.”

Parents quickly chimed in with their own “freedom paralysis” experiences and sympathy for the busy mom of five. “Freedom paralysis!! Finally a word for it,” wrote one parent. “This is truly one of the most accurate descriptions of mothering in the little years. My fairy usually finds me pounding dry granola looking out the window in a total brain fog,” added another mom.

“You will also spend all shower hearing phantom cries and screams and get out to check every 5 minutes,” relatably noted one mom. “Why does this encompass ALL OF IT, and I only have one kid???” joked one parent. “Plot twist: all the kids are napping at the same time because they’re all coming down with fevers,” added another.

Whether you stare off in silence, scroll TikTok or tackle your to-dos, try to enjoy your naptime freedom next time this unicorn of a parenting event shows up.