Moms everywhere relate to 7-year-old’s viral essay about being ‘abandoned’
Dec 21, 2025, 5:00 AM
A third grader does her schoolwork at home. (Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)
(Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)
A 7-year-old’s perspective on abandonment sparked a viral parenting moment.
A Texas second grader’s school essay has parents everywhere laughing, cringing, and nodding in solidarity.
Gwen McArthur had a class project to write a 15-page story, and her imagination has taken the internet by storm.
The essay, titled “The Big Night!”, begins with the dramatic line, “Has your mom ever left? Well, mine has.”
In her words, Gwen describes the “harrowing” experience of her mom, Stephanie, leaving the family for what seemed like forever.
Stephanie posted her side of the story on Instagram.
“I actually did not leave and abandon my family. I just went to dinner with the moms for one night, and then I came home,” she said.
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Stephanie was gone for a total of three hours, while Gwen and her siblings enjoyed dinner, milkshakes, and a movie with their dad
The 7-year-old still wrote, “It is not fun when your mom goes away.”
The essay ends with Gwen waking up the next morning, shocked to find her mom back home, writing, “Wow, my mom is FINALLY here! Yay!”
When Stephanie shared the story online, it sparked several hilarious parent confessions.
One mom recalled her child telling teachers she was “homeless” while she was away on a trip.
Another said her son claimed he had visited her “in jail”— though they were just playing Monopoly.
Stephanie said she’s taking the essay in stride, laughing at the mom guilt it stirred up, and noting how hard it can be for mothers to carve out time for themselves.
As she put it, “It takes a Herculean effort for moms to get out. But clearly, the kids never forget.”
