A mum's revelation over her lack of Christmas presents has sparked fury from internet users who have said even a card would have made a difference.
Christmas morning looks different for households across the globe, but many mums have banded together over the fact that often they are the ones putting in most effort to ensure the rest of the family has the best day possible.
It's definitely not always the case, but some parents on TikTok found this common ground after user @missmear took to the platform to reveal she didn't have a 'single present' to open on Christmas Day.
The mum received dozens of comments after she shared a video of herself over the festive period, showing her sitting on the sofa while text over the image read: "I know I'm not the only mom who woke up Christmas morning with not a single present under the tree for them as you watched your kids and husband unwrap the presents you spent all month stressing over."
The TikToker, named Mary, explained in follow up videos that she'd bought and wrapped the presents for her husband and two kids after a tough two years, which involved her losing both her mother and her unborn baby, and contracting coronavirus.
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She was admitted to hospital just before Christmas 2021 and put on a ventilator just two weeks later, after which she lost her baby.
"When I woke up, it was already January," Mary told followers. "I missed all of the holidays. My kids had not seen me for two months. And everyone knows that moms make the magic happen most of the time."
Mary explained that she decided to spoil her kids this Christmas to 'make up for the fact that [she] was not there for them last Christmas', but she was 'upset' to realise that not even her husband had made an effort to get her a present after all they had been through.
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TikTok users rallied around Mary in the comments, with many sharing their own experiences of being left without presents and others arguing that Mary deserved better.
"Thank you for this post. I felt less alone in the world," one viewer wrote, while another commented: "This happened to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t get a gift, it’s that no one even noticed I didn’t have a gift."
A third wrote: "Moms deserve appreciation too. You deserved a gift. All mothers do."
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Mary has thanked those who responded to her video with kind messages, and showed her support in return to those going through similar situations over the festive period.
Emily Brown