A Cuban mother identified as Gladys Vargas (@gladis._02) went viral on TikTok after confessing that she hasn't bathed in two days and explaining with brutal honesty why: her two small daughters don't give her a moment of free time.
"I haven't showered in two days, and before you judge me, let me explain why," the 53-second video posted this Tuesday begins.
Gladys describes a dynamic of constant and simultaneous exhaustion: "when one cries, the other does too; when one wants water, the other wants juice; when one wants to sleep, the other wants to play, and that's how they keep me all day."
The only moments of respite—the midday nap—do not belong to him either.
"When they sleep during midday, there are simply dirty dishes, laundry to hang or to pick up, or the floor that needs cleaning; there is always something more important to do than to take a shower," he explains.
Self-care is once again put off for later.
At the end of the video, Gladys poses a direct question to other mothers: "I want to know how many moms are also experiencing this and if I’m not the only one who always puts herself last. Comment with a red heart to let me know I'm not alone in this."
The clip fits within the trend of #RealMotherhood and #UnfilteredMotherhood, a format that has gained millions of interactions on TikTok among Spanish-speaking mothers who candidly share the daily exhaustion of parenting, countering the idealized image of motherhood on social media.
Among Cuban mothers, this type of testimony resonates particularly strongly. In recent months, several have gone viral with messages of extreme exhaustion: one recounting that she survived a week without water, another expressing her frustration with the blackouts in Havana, and another simply sharing that she was "mentally exhausted."
The structural crisis on the island—prolonged power outages, shortages of water and food, insufficient wages—exacerbates a domestic burden that is already overwhelming for those raising children in precarious conditions.
Gladys's video, however, does not mention the Cuban crisis as a cause: her account highlights the universal dynamic of simultaneously caring for two young girls, which broadens its potential for identification beyond the island's audience.
This Tuesday, another viral video featuring Cuban mothers also circulated, recreating the farewell with their emigrating children, with over 45,200 views, confirming that the topic of Cuban motherhood continues to spark a massive conversation on social media.
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