Mom’s “destructive” ice-throwing therapy divides TikTok

TikTok mom Jen recorded herself throwing ice into the bathtub to deal with her unwanted stress, sparking a debate about how she handles her feelings.

TikToker ‘mamajen’ went viral on May 3 after she posted a clip of herself throwing ice into the tub while alone in the bathroom. The video has since been viewed over 14M times and counting.

“Completely satisfies that need to destruct (w/out being destructive!)” Jen wrote in a text overlay. She also rated the release a 10/10 and was grateful to have found the idea to throw ice after scrolling through the platform.

The TikTok mom explained in some of her other videos how she suffers from postpartum depression, which is the natural indifference felt after giving birth — whether it be anxiety or loneliness, it can control your life without warning.

Despite throwing the ice to reduce stress and calm down, she faced criticism for how she decided to deal with her feelings.

“If I saw my mom doing this I would be scared,” commented one. “I’m running away if I saw my mom do this,” agreed another.

However, many viewers supported the mother and explained how they wished their moms had thrown ice instead of taking their anger out in unhealthy ways. 

“‘I’d be scared if my mom did this,’ yall… imagine if she ain’t did this. I wish my mom did this,” said one. “Lol wish my mum did this instead of throwing me,” another joked.

Another viewer praised Jen for finding a “nonviolent way” to release her anger and couldn’t understand why some comments were so negative.

Some commenters even showered the TikTok mom with their support for dealing with postpartum depression creatively and healthily, as they were dealing with their own unwanted stress.