40 Relatable Mom Comics That Show Her Real-Life Struggles

The internet has a way of making us feel less alone. Whether it’s just people posting their daily struggles or artworks and memes we see that we can relate to, it’s reassuring to know that at the touch of a button, we can be entertained for hours. For those who are in the early stages of parenthood, this feeling of not being alone in your remarkable journey is essential. New parents will definitely enjoy the relatable comics by artist Inna Sacali. She takes inspiration from her everyday life as a mother and turns it into hilariously cute cartoons that we found on her on Instagram, @inna_s_art. If you are a new mom and are looking for an outlet to let loose a little bit and realize that your struggles are entirely valid, then check out Inna’s parenting journey in the comics below.

Always alert

Baby’s are quite fascinating. For how small they are, it feels like they can see and do everything when they please. It’s almost like they know exactly when we turn our back for one second, and after that, the floodgates open for them.

This comic is a perfect representation of that. This mom probably turned around for a split second to grab a clean diaper, and the next second, the baby is almost out of the room! How do they move so fast?!

The repetition

Kids thrive on repetition. Once you start doing something they like, they will want you to do it forever. Whether it’s peek-a-boo, reading their favorite bedtime story, or pretending to faint, get ready to do it for a couple more years.

This comic is the perfect representation of what it feels like to play peek-a-boo for hours. The first few times are cute. It’s actually kind of entertaining for you too. But it’s impressive how kids just don’t get bored with these simple games.

No peaceful meal time

Parents of toddlers will know that there is no eating in peace when your kid is at the table. It’s already hard enough to feed your child and get them to finish their vegetable. And don’t even think about finding time to finish your own plate.

Toddlers will flail around, throw food on the ground, spray you with water, and sometimes refuse to eat at all. They will throw a tantrum over their broccoli and scream when you try to put them in their high chair. There is no such thing as peaceful mealtime.

Instagram vs. reality

So many parents on Instagram make parenting look easy. We see dozens of carefully curated photos, beautiful filters, and perfect family Christmas photos. It’s all too good to be true. But for every perfect shot, there are hundreds of fails.

There is no way that cooking with a toddler is mess-free and stress-free. Those smiles are plastered on because somewhere out of frame is a mountain of whipped cream and spilled flour on the counter.

Child psychology

Sometimes, you need to get creative when you want your child to do something. This includes reverse psychology or making them feel like it’s a competition they have to win. These are all the subtle tricks of parenthood that you get good at over time.

On this occasion, this mother attempted to get her son to brush his teeth by pretending like it was a competition. Mom’s going to go first, so now the child feels like he has to win, so he rushes in front of her. Genius!

Way too tired

Early parenthood will knock the living daylights out of you. You lack sleep, you’re not eating as well as you should be, and all your energy is spent trying to take care of, feed, and entertain your bundle of joy.

It’s wise to listen to your body and what it’s trying to tell you. Take every little nap you can, even if it’s only for ten minutes. Nap when your baby is napping. If meals aren’t possible, eat a small amount multiple times throughout the day.

Backwards routine

When a woman becomes a mom, it feels like her whole world has turned upside down. We don’t mean that in a bad way, but the routine she used to have goes straight out the window to care for her little bundle of joy!

For example, that cup of tea (or coffee) that she used to enjoy in the morning is now what she looks forward to at night! And, when she wakes up in the morning, she’s still in that strange limbo from being up all night with her baby.

Refusal to sleep

There is something about bedtime that just repulses children. They can be yawning back and forth, trying to keep their droopy eyes open, and yet refuse to go to sleep. They should really appreciate sleep while they can enjoy it all they want.

When these kids grow up, they’re going to realize that they took bedtime and nap time for granted. Sleep is one of the best pleasures of life, but they’re throwing it all away just to run around the house.

“No” doesn’t work

No matter how many times you stress to your child not to do a certain thing, they will still do it anyway. It’s like by saying no, you’re challenging them to do it. This is why some parents don’t believe in saying “no” to their kids.

The look of absolute mischief in this kid’s eyes is enough to make us want to throw our own tantrum. But now, this mother has to deal with cleaning up the mess. Kid, it’s time to play a little game called scrub the wall.

Don’t panic

Children are very prone to accidents. As a parent, it’s impossible to keep a watchful eye over them all the time. Sometimes accidents do happen, and we have to be quick to deal with them. The important thing is not to panic.

Don’t work yourself up thinking that every baby cough is them choking. Just like adults, a cough is not a sign of choking. Keep calm and check for signs of distress in your child. Chances are, he probably just needs a little bit of water to drink.

The parenting horror story

When you’ve been a parent for a while, you have a little bit of wisdom to share with other parents and soon-to-be parents. This is a great chance to bond as a community of people who are trying to raise children.

But instead of giving them helpful tips, this person is scaring the new parents! Sometimes, thinking about parenting alone is enough to give you the skeevies. All the responsibilities of caring for and bringing up a baby… it’s not for everyone.

Secret’s out

Have you ever wondered why girls go to the toilet in big groups? Maybe it’s for safety reasons, or maybe it’s in case one of them needs a tampon or a hair tie. But as it turns out, the reason is far more important than that.

Yup, they’re just preparing for the constant intrusion of their own children. Another thing people neglect to warn you about parenthood is that you have no privacy. Your child will walk in on you doing anything, including when you’re sitting on the toilet.

Ideally

There is no amount of parenting books, seminars, classes, or advice that can prepare you for parenthood. You just learn as you go along. But wouldn’t it be nice if somehow you could download all the info and skills in the delivery room?

Ideally, this would be done after every baby delivery. This would help solve a lot of problems. It means less stress for the parents and more comfort and joy for the child. Society would be a lot happier. Hopefully, this technology is in the works for the future.

Pregnancy clothes

There is something about the ugliness of maternity clothes. They’re old-looking, they age you by about ten years, and they never come in fun colors. Wearing maternity clothes doesn’t make you feel like the young, hip person you truly are.

For this artist, this is probably what the design process looks like for all pregnancy wear. It’s designed by people who absolutely should not be designing clothes. That’s why all these clothing items turn out so gray, bland, and boring.

Booger warning

Kids are a handful already, but it seems like you have to double your efforts when they’re sick. Parents do everything they can to prevent their children from getting sick, from giving them healthy food to vitamins and a sleep schedule.

But when the little boogers and snot make an appearance, it’s inevitable. You’re down for a week of less sleep, extra loud wailing, fever, and a depleted stock of tissue. When the baby is sick, the parents usually fall sick shortly after.

Children come first

When you’re a parent, you learn to put your wants and needs second. It’s your children’s needs that come first. This means deferring gratifications more often than not. You don’t eat until your child eats, and you don’t sleep until your child does.

And sometimes, you say no to chocolate because you know there’s only one bar left, and your child will benefit more from it than you will. Even though, in reality, you really could use a Mars bar right about now.

Every available surface

When your child starts writing, drawing, and doing crafts, you best believe that no surface is safe. Cover the table, floors, and walls with newspaper if you have to because your kid is going to draw on every available surface.

But out of all the surfaces you can protect, the one you cannot cover with newspaper is your child’s skin. Yup, when they’ve run out of options, children will draw on themselves. This is fine, though, as long as they are using washable markers.

Baby’s favorite toys

As your baby grows older, he will discover that one toy that he protects with his dear life! He’s going to bring it everywhere. He’s not going to be able to sleep without it. He will look for that toy more than he looks for you.

Inna Sacali’s child has plenty of favorite toys. But they will never compare to the ultimate toy—the toy that doesn’t belong to him. This is why kids find it difficult to share and why learning to share happens at a young age.

Which test?

Ladies, would you rather get a pregnancy scare or a covid scare? Either of these will require you to get tested, so let’s rephrase the question. Would you rather pee on a stick or have a stick shoved up your nose?

These days, “getting tested” usually only means one thing. But it’s apples to oranges comparing pregnancy symptoms with covid symptoms. These days, women will do both. But usually, pregnancy can be compared to a period that’s on the way, so it’s hard to tell sometimes!

The overwhelm

Imagine this. You and your baby have been discharged from the hospital. You’re finally going to take your baby home. And then, out of nowhere, the anxiety hits you like a ton of bricks. You’re completely caught off guard.

This comic illustrates what it literally looks like to be metaphorically hit by a ton of bricks. All the responsibilities, the influx of parenting advice, and the scary possibilities of illnesses your baby might catch smash all hopes and dreams of you ever being at peace with your baby.

Celebrate the little things

Sometimes babies get constipated. It’s just a thing that happens, and while it’s usually no cause for concern, parents will naturally worry. So, when the baby finally takes a dump, it’s cause for celebration. The whole world must know.

Yes, it might seem weird or creepy to other people that you’re getting so excited over something so disgusting. But with poop comes confirmation that your baby is okay now, and all your worries are lifted off your shoulders for a moment.

Never a dull moment

New moms that are constantly tending to their babies barely go out of the house unless they absolutely have to. Usually, they don’t care what they are wearing or what they look like as long as the baby is happy.

However, when they do decide to treat themselves, they don’t get too excited. Why? Because they know that the baby will probably get his hands on it the second it has a chance. Such as this mom’s new outfit that she bought!

Unflattering

It’s unreal the way maternity clothes and maternity underwear can make you feel so unsexy. It’s like these things were designed with little thought to the wearer’s self-esteem. Check out the difference between a regular bra and a maternity bra.

The regular bra shows off plenty of cleavage. Meanwhile, the maternity bra is frumpy. Do these designers not know that the breasts grow larger during pregnancy? If anything, it’s your one chance to show them off a little bit!

When hormones take over

It’s no secret that pregnancy messes with your hormones. Unfortunately, this is used to place mean stereotypes on pregnant women. In reality, this is probably what it looks like inside the system. The hormones and emotions take over.

It’s going to be a 9-month long roller coaster as you try to navigate your changing body and swinging emotions as well. If there’s anyone that can withstand this for that long, it’s women. Imagine men trying to go through all of that. They wouldn’t stand a chance!

Pleading eyes

Just look at this next piece of illustration. How can you say no to those eyes? Just how? Those big eyes staring back at you begging you to please let him play five more minutes before going to bed. How can you refrain from this cuteness?

All of a sudden, all your goals to become a stricter parent fly out the window. Your soft heart takes over, and you find yourself saying, “Okay baby, five more minutes. But it’s bedtime after that, okay?” If you’re a mom, you know this feeling all too well!

Pregnancy eating

When you’re pregnant, you’re eating for two. So it makes sense if you increase your food intake—the baby needs it! Sometimes, though, it does feel like you’ve eaten the entirety of the contents of your fridge in a day.

There are also pregnancy cravings that can become really intense. These are super random. They can range from bananas to those huge turkey legs the size of your entire head that you can only get at Disneyland. Every day is different!

Separation anxiety

Leaving for work is always a harrowing affair when you have a toddler. They never want you to go. They want to spend the day playing with you. But alas, responsibilities and adult things await. You have to walk away from your wailing child.

It’s okay, little guy. Your daddy will be home again in 6-8 hours, and then you have him all to yourself. Sometimes, the child isn’t the only one who’s crying. The parent leaving is also holding back a few tears.

Sleeping with your baby

As a parent, you have long, tiresome days. But at the end of the day, you still have to put the baby down to sleep. Oftentimes, this results in you falling asleep while the baby lies fully awake, distracted by the colorful lights in the room.

The baby is fascinated and therefore overly stimulated by the patterns of the light projector. Meanwhile, the parents were clearly transfixed by the show, so much so that it put them to sleep! They’re going to have a peaceful morning because the baby is going to tire himself out.

Pregnancy brain

During pregnancy, your body is dedicating itself to growing another human being that it sometimes feels like it neglects your own brain functions. Women speak of getting something called “pregnancy brain,” which makes them a little slow or disoriented at times.

Take this mother, for example. She meant to plug in her iron because she needed to iron her shirt. What she ended up doing was plugging in her hairdryer. Then, she’s left confused because when did she even pick up the hairdryer?

Their favorite toys

It’s true that moms go all out for their kids. They want them to be exposed to everything which is why they buy them a variety of toys! New moms know that once there is a baby crawling about, there will always be different kinds of toys scattered around the house.

However, no matter how many toys they have, they will always be the most interested in our things, and that includes our wardrobe! Once we take our shoes off, they will try to put them on. The same goes with our jewelry, glasses, purses, you name it!

Nighttime feeding

Feeding your baby is an incredibly taxing job. It causes pain for your breasts, you have to make sure they’re drinking, and you have to wake up in the middle of the night to feed them. Your body clock is thrown off course with all these nighttime feedings.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate all the mothers out there who have had and are still going through this phase of parenthood. We can never repay the sacrifices they made for us, giving up their body, energy, and time to make sure we are okay.

Boy problems

When you’re a mother of a baby boy, changing time is just a tiny bit trickier than with girls. Baby girls might pee during changing time, but it’s not going to projectile launch into your face. Meanwhile, with boys…

On top of giving up their body, energy, and time, mothers also have to deal with getting peed on, pooed on, vomited on, and more. Motherhood is definitely not for every woman out there. It takes an incredible amount of patience.

Spoiling baby

When you have a new baby, the urge to spoil them with little baby items is difficult to fight. Especially with online shopping these days, it’s almost impossible not to come across cute outfits, even when you’re only shopping for diapers.

It’s even more tempting to splurge on baby stuff when there’s a sale going on. Your baby can look cute, and you get to save 5%? Yes, please! Spending any considerable amount of money is never a fun thing, but look at all these adorable clothes!

Information overload

As a parent, you’re constantly learning how to become better for your child. Whether it’s technical or logistical things, or if it’s methods for how to bring up a child, your brain is just overloaded with information and advice.

It can be difficult to sift through everything you’ve read, heard, or been told. At the end of the day, it’s what works for you and your family. You don’t have to feel too pressured to utilize all the information you’ve been given.

Parental superpowers

On very bad days when your children aren’t being cooperative in the slightest, you’ll wish that you had superpowers. Maybe you can put them in a cone of silence while they bicker and fight. Or maybe you can just silence them yourself with a flick of your wrist.

Having Spiderman abilities can also come in handy. Those webs will keep your children apart until they decide that they’re amicable enough to play together without fighting. It could also put the fear of God in them, putting them off from ever fighting again.

Keep a watchful eye

When your baby gets to a certain age and begins noticing their surroundings, they start getting curious. At this age, parents need to keep a super watchful eye on their baby. One moment they’re sitting still, the next they’re bent over their crib trying to climb out.

This is why people keep a baby monitor in their rooms. It helps them keep an eye on the baby even when they’re not in the room. But even then, it still can’t prevent 100% of accidents from happening. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the parents.

Parenting anxieties

Parents will experience self-doubt and anxiety from time to time. No matter how well you think you’re doing, there will always be the nagging thought that you can be doing better. It’s almost as if all your effort is still not enough.

It’s important to remember that parenting is no easy feat. It’s a lifelong role, and the fact that you’ve made it to this day, however long you’ve been a parent for, is something to celebrate. Take the little wins, and do it one day at a time.

Toys everywhere

Every parent understands the struggles of navigating your child’s bedroom floor. It’s almost always cluttered with toys, books, and stuffed animals. It’s like treading glass, trying not to step on anything. But sometimes, you’re just unlucky, and you step on a Lego.

Nothing quite compares to the kind of pain you get when stepping on a Lego. It’s astonishing that something so tiny can elicit that much pain and a reaction that’s enough to turn you into a Hulk. This is why you should teach your kids to clean up after themselves.

No time

When you become a parent, you’ll begin to realize that you won’t have much time to do anything for yourself. Everything is about the baby and making sure they eat and sleep right. By the time the baby’s asleep, you’re too exhausted to do anything else.

Sure, it would be nice to be able to catch up on all the series you’ve missed. It would be nice to work on your passions, or scroll mindlessly through Instagram. But you gotta rest up for the next day, because it’s going to be as tiring as the last.

The Mary Poppins bag

Remember how Mary Poppins pulled an entire world out of her bag? Well, it seems that mothers own the same bag. It may look regular-sized, but inside, it’s stocked to last for months. Ask a mother for anything, and she’ll pull it out of the bag.

How does she fit all of that in one bag? Nobody knows. It’s probably a superpower you gain when you become a mother. Anything from diapers, wet wipes, baby food, baby snacks, water bottles, juice – you name it, and she’ll have it in there.