What Is A "Middle Mom"? Parents Pay Tribute To This Odd Era Of Parenting

Every season of motherhood has its highs and lows. New moms forget to brush their teeth and celebrate a three-hour stretch of sleep, but oh, those baby cuddles are worth every sleepless night. Toddler moms see their kids walk and talk for the first time while simultaneously mitigating meltdown after meltdown.

Once the kids get older where they aren’t quite toddlers but not in those messy teen years yet, those moms are known as “middle moms,” and some swear that this is the sweet spot of parenting.

What is a middle mom?

A middle mom is that in-between mom. She has kids around the ages of 5 to 12 years old.

She doesn’t have toddlers, but she’s not in the trenches of teenage hormones. She’s still getting snuggles. Still their child’s favorite person. She’s not crying at their kid’s graduation, but she’s not changing diapers.

TikTok mom of five, Jenny Ashbay, using a spoken word poem by Emily Roussell, shared a viral video, sharing about her life as a middle mom.

“I’m now a mom of kiddos all in the 5-12 year age range and am suddenly acutely aware of how fast time flies. 😭,” she wrote in the caption.

The viral clip cuts to various moments in her middle motherhood journey including trips to the arcade and a stress-free family stroll where she can actually hold her husband’s hand and not chase after a curious toddler.

“She's a middle mom,” the audio reads. “There's no longer a baby on her hip, but she's not yet misty-eyed, marveling over caps and gowns.”

“If you look far enough back into her kitchen cupboard, you might just find a sippy cup. There's a chance there's few bath toys in a long unused bin because before she had a chance to realize, showers became the norm.”

“She's far enough in her motherhood to know just how fast it all goes, but not yet through the land of little. She's in a space that lingers between babies and bigs. She does her best to savor it because she can feel the rush of time. She grabs all of today because she's a middle mom.”

Okay, who’s cutting onions?!

Middle mom meaning

Middle moms are in that constant state of mind where they knows this is the "sweet spot" of parenting. They try to soak it all up, but also know that it's a fleeting moment in time. Middle moms are on the cusp of a major shift in motherhood and her kids' lives. They’re about to enter a new chapter.

The video struck a cord with many other moms who might not have even known they were in this stage of life with their kids.

“I’m a middle mom and didn’t even know it 😭,” one user wrote on the viral video.

Another TikTok user pointed out that being a middle mom is kind of the best.

“This is the best time...no diapers, no teen parties..,” they wrote.

The OP replied, “It’s great, the point is that I don’t want it to go too fast 😊”

“We’re just entering this stage- 4 kids ages 3-10. I’ve been calling these the golden years of parenting. My favorite stage so far!” another said.

“It’s the BEST! No regrets and I wouldn’t go back. Baby/toddlerhood is hard! This is a dream,” another echoed.

Others weren’t so sure they wanted to get to the middle mom stage, knowing just how fast it’ll fly by into the tough teen years.

“I am NOT ready for this 🥺 clinging to my two year old on my hip for as long as I can ❤️,” one TikTok user said.

Another wrote, “I’m a middle mom with two but know what’s coming all too fast with my 8th grader who’s already getting ready for high school 😢”

“I’m a middle mom who never expected to only have one baby. I wish I could go back and tell myself to savor the baby stage more. 🥺,” another shared.