A mom is getting pushback online after suggesting that people without kids don’t realize how much free time they have — to the point that they’re “practically” always on vacation.
TikTok user Danielle Ek recently posted a video explaining why she thinks childfree people underestimate their downtime.
“I don’t think people without kids realize how much free time they actually have,” she said in the Nov. 29 video. “They are practically on vacation 24/7, and they don’t realize that until you have kids and you have no free time ever.”
Danielle added that she loves being with her children, while also acknowledging the trade-offs that come with parenting.
“Now don’t get me wrong — I love spending time with my kids, but I don’t get a lot of free time, which I completely understand, I signed up for it,” she continued. “But it’s just funny because I have friends that don’t have kids, and I just get a kick out of hearing them say, ‘Oh, I’m so tired,’ or ‘I’m so busy.’ “
She said she tries not to be the kind of person who pressures others by comparing lives, but encouraged people without kids to appreciate the flexibility they have now.
“Once you do have kids, there will be little to no free time,” she said. “And the time that you get with them is amazing — I prayed for this, I asked God for this, so I’m not complaining — but I’m just saying a person without kids’ free time is completely different than a person who has kids’ free time. So take advantage now while you can.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/couple-on-vacation-081825-81c93f1dbd7a4abc92c1331f01403dde.jpg)
Comments Accuse Her of Being Bitter — and Others Push Back
In the comments, critics quickly challenged Danielle’s framing, with some calling her “bitter” and accusing her of regretting parenthood.
“This is giving ‘I regret my choice and I’m envious of those who are childfree,’ ” one person wrote. Another added, “ ‘Take advantage while you can’ why do some people talk about having kids like it’s a requirement?”
Others mocked the sentiment more directly, while some argued that the issue wasn’t her point — it was that she posted it publicly at all.
Meanwhile, a separate group took issue with the broader implication behind the message, asking why some parents act like they have exclusive rights to feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. One commenter put it bluntly: “Why do parents act like they have a monopoly on being tired or busy?”
She Responded the Next Day
The next day, Danielle posted another video responding to the backlash, saying her point was being misunderstood.
“Y’all are big mad right now about that video,” she began. “You guys, I am not saying that people without kids don’t have a life or don’t have responsibilities or don’t have obligations.”
She reiterated that she wasn’t trying to turn it into a competition — and said she was speaking from her own experience.
“The fact is that if you have kids, you understand where I’m coming from,” she said. “You don’t get to choose when we get to wake up in the morning. If you don’t have kids, you might not 100 percent get to choose, but you do kind of get to choose based on your situation.”
