By Jen Gregory of The Runaway Mama
Moms are the masters of multitasking and the champions of getting all the things done. Simply put, they are superheroes, but they do have a Kryptonite:
Antibiotics.
Moms everywhere lament giving prescription medication to their kids, and popular mom blogger, Maxi Parker of Maxed Out Mom, knows firsthand the toll this exasperating chore takes.
“Hey, Mamas,” Maxi wrote in a post to her nearly 10,000 Facebook followers at 2:31 a.m. on Tuesday. “Anyone else up at this ungodly hour? I’m exhausted, spent, MAXED OUT. I haven’t slept or left the house for days. I’m not interested in food, exercise, or wine. Wine, y’all! #thestruggleisreal”
Maxi went on to say, “My spark is gone. My husband is begging me to snap out of it. My kids are worried about their Mama. My IRL friends are dropping off lattes. I don’t even recognize myself.”
Then came the zinger. “But I did it. Earlier this evening, at 9:48 p.m., I finished Zachary’s 30th and final dose of Amoxicillin. Thirty doses, y’all! I didn’t miss a single teaspoon, even on Saturday night and during a five-hour layover in Chicago. Motherhood is a marathon, y’all, not a sprint. Every day is a test of our strength, patience, and will, but we are NOT alone, mamas. We have each other.”
Let that sink in for a moment. Maxi’s Facebook fans certainly did. Within 24 hours, Maxi’s post was shared over a million times, her Facebook followers flourished into the hundreds of thousands, and her message caught the attention of and prompted “love” and “wow” emoji reactions from celebrity moms Chrissy Teigen, Reese Witherspoon, and Olivia Wilde.
“I never imagined my experience would resonate with so many moms!” the overnight social media sensation said when we caught up with her in the greenroom at CNN’s New York City Studio. She was invited along with Zachary’s pediatrician, Tabitha J. Tungsten, M.D., to share her story on Anderson Cooper’s series: CNN Mom Heroes.
When probed about her medicinal miracle, Maxi redirected the attention. “My kids are my inspiration. Whatever success I achieve is 100% because of them.”
We suspect Maxi also pivoted because of a rumored book deal with Random House to pen a non-fiction-parenting-humor-self-help-illustrated-memoir-cookbook on her journey to redefine motherhood for a new generation of maxed out moms.
“It’s taboo for moms to talk about the difficulty of administering prescription antibiotics,” said Dr. Tungsten, who also writes a syndicated newspaper column called Dear Dr. Tabby.
“They suffer in silence out of fear of judgment and humiliation.” Dr. Tungsten went on to say, “Public awareness is key, and Maxi’s account of courage, perseverance, and ultimately, success has the potential to change the conversation on this issue.”
When asked about being branded a hero, Maxi said, “It’s been a whirlwind! I’m humbled to be a voice for moms who don’t feel heard. Starting my Maxed Out Mom online community, harnessing the power of moms worldwide, and shedding light on the mountains moms climb every day has been my greatest honor as a woman, mother, writer, influencer, soon-to-be podcast host, and future TED Talk speaker.”
Previous CNN Mom Heroes were a mom who embraced her gray hair, a mom who bore witness to her daughter’s tantrum in the housewares department of a major department store, a mom who had a C-section and experienced no shame, a mom who decided “fed” is best, and a mom who wore a two piece swimsuit to demonstrate body positivity for her daughters.
Folks, there are heroes among us.
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