Mom checks family calendar—left heartbroken by what her kids added

A TikTok video revealing a seemingly simple calendar entry made by a woman’s children has melted hearts online.

In the clip, the woman explains the heartbreaking reason she won’t be seen without her kids on the weekends—they write entries in their home calendar every time their parents are off work. Since the video was posted, it has received over 490,000 views.

“Why you aren’t going to see me without my kiddos on the weekend,” the mother captioned the video. “Just saw this and it honestly broke my heart. My whole world.”

The footage itself shows a home calendar hanging on a wall, where, on the weekend boxes, her children have written “mom and dad of wrk [off work]” accompanied by largely drawn hearts.

The sentiment of the post resonated with other TikTok users, many of whom are parents navigating similar challenges.

One commenter shared a familiar conversation with their partner: “I just had this convo about why we don’t really go on date nights/have an established sitter,” she wrote. “My husband and I work full-time and we just can’t imagine giving up those precious weekend hours with our son. Every great once in a while for a special event, maybe, but we really try to make sure our weekends are family time.”

The longing for parental presence was echoed by others.

“I’m privileged to be home with my kids, and every day my son asks me how many days until daddy is off,” another commenter wrote.

“This!” a third user agreed. “My co-workers don’t understand why I won’t join them on a weekend for book club. Sorry, but I see them enough during the week. My daughter is more important.”

Children’s Understanding of Work

What seemed most heartbreaking about the creator’s video was the perception of work obligations by small children. Some, unable to keep track of the days yet, rely on asking their parents if they have to leave them for work again, day after day.

“My son always asks us, ‘Do you have to work tomorrow mommy? … Do you have to work tomorrow daddy?’ I LOVE Fridays when I tell him we don’t have to work tomorrow,” one user shared.

The constant awareness of their children’s understanding of “workdays” tugged at heartstrings.

“My three-year-old every morning asks if it’s a ‘work day,’” one commenter shared. “And she helps to ‘close’ my laptop each night after work and does a happy dance … breaks my heart every single day … The[y] deserve so much more of our time than we can give. What an unfair world.”

The video and shared experiences reveal a universal parenting struggle: navigating the tension between professional demands and the precious moments of childhood. For this mom at least, handwritten words on a calendar remind her of what truly matters on the weekend.

Newsweek reached out to @_ericabrooke_ for comment via TikTok.