‘I put my son to bed at 4:30pm and I don’t need to justify myself’

Danielle is a 27-year-old working mum who shares videos about her life and what is it like raising a toddler. A couple of days ago, Danielle amazed parents worldwide with her parenting technique on what she does if her son refuses to take a nap during the day.

Danielle has gone viral on TikTok with over one million views with her simple parenting advice. She began her video and said: “It’s 5:30 (in the evening) and I just put my son to bed and I’m gonna go to the gym.

“When I picked up my son from daycare, they told me he had not napped for the day and screw that. We’re not doing that overtired nonsense.”

The mum stated that she has put her son to bed despite it being early evening. She said: “We brought him right home, we fed him dinner and did bath and then bed immediately.”

Danielle explained her parenting method and said: “I do this every single time they tell me that he doesn’t nap at daycare. He’s 18 months, and sleep is incredibly important for kids in general, but once they’re overtired and cranky there’s no point, no point in trying to keep him awake.”

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She then said: “If I actually try to keep him awake until his bedtime…he will sleep worse overnight than if I just come home and put him straight to bed. I have legitimately put him to bed at 4:30 (in the evening) before and he will sleep all the way till at least 6am tomorrow morning.”

Danielle added: “Screw the rules! Just do what is best for your kid.” The social media mum’s views have exploded since giving her unorthodox advice, as parents took to the comment section to say they will be trying it out on their own children.

One woman named Christina said: “You just gained a follower for this video – my new best mom friend” while one other woman named Tina commented: “Yes, they need so much sleep in a 24-hour period. Good job mamma.”

Another woman named Claire joked: “I’m 204 months and last Thursday I put myself to bed to 5:30pm.”

However, some other online users were less enthusiastic about Danielle’s advice. One negative comment on the video said: “Y’all don’t even see your kids…that’s crazy to me.”

Danielle made another video responding to the feedback. She said: “I don’t have to justify myself to you but I am willing to elaborate on the situation.

“This scenario is the exception for us. It is by no means the rule. 90 percent of the time takes a nap at daycare, and I don’t have to put him to bed early when we get home.”

Danielle also said: “On those occasions that he doesn’t take a nap at daycare, and I do have to put him to bed really early, his need for sleep trumps my need to see him.”

She added: “I know kids need their mum…but when my son comes home sobbing because he’s literally having an absolute breakdown because he’s so tired, I am not going to keep him up later so that I can spend time with him.”

Danielle also admitted that not being able to spend time with her son on those occasions she needs to put him to bed does sometimes disappoint her. She said: “I am actually really lucky to have a flexible schedule as a working mum, so I get to spend a lot more time with my son than probably the average working mum.

“If I’m being completely transparent with you, the days I have to put him to bed early and I don’t get to spend that much time with him, it does really bother me. But again, his needs just come first.”

People in Danielle’s comment section supported her as other mums shared their struggle with judgemental comments. One woman named Em said: “Immediate follow. Being a working mom is so incredibly hard even before all the shaming we get from others, You’re amazing!”

Another user said: “People love to shame a working mom – ignoring we go [hard] when we get evenings and weekends with them because we are so excited for that time.”

Somebody else commented on the judgement mum’s face, and said: “They judge when you stay home and ‘do nothing’ all day, and they judge when you ‘never see your kids’ there’s no keeping everybody happy!”