TikToker Alex Madison Says There Can Be 'So Much Shame and Guilt' as New Parents, but Emphasizes There's 'No Rule Book' (Exclusive)

TikToker Alex Madison Says There Can Be 'So Much Shame and Guilt' as New Parents, but Emphasizes There's 'No Rule Book' (Exclusive) https://ift.tt/vwDgfOL

“There is no perfect way to parent,” Alex Madison tells PEOPLE. “Get offline, go outside [and] touch grass”

Jon Bouffard, Alex Madison and their baby.
Credit: Alex Madison

NEED TO KNOW

• After experiencing a heartbreaking pregnancy loss in 2024, Alex Madison is now approaching a year of motherhood with daughter Lucy Grey and reflecting on how the journey has changed her and her content
• The influencer also recently partnered with Abbott, maker of Similac, for its Love Without Measure initiative, which encourages more honest portrayals of parenting online
• Speaking to PEOPLE, Madison says she hopes to remind parents that there is no perfect way to raise a child and that social media shouldn't define their experience

Alex Madison and her husband, Jon Bouffard, are known for making followers laugh with their relatable relationship content, but these days, the social media stars are finding inspiration from their new roles as parents. 

Since welcoming their daughter Lucy Grey in September 2025, parenthood has reshaped nearly every part of their lives, including the way they think about what they share online. 

Now, through a partnership with Abbott, maker of Similac, and its Love Without Measure initiative, Madison is encouraging parents to give themselves a little more grace in a world that often makes them feel like they're getting it wrong. After all, “there's no rule book into parenthood,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

@alexandramadison_

#SimilacPartner Am I the only one stepping on baby toys? The most unrealistic thing on social media is how clean everyone’s floors are. Parents… please tell me we’re not the only ones feeling this way 😂 ‌ Share your unfiltered parenting moments and normalize the chaotic, messy parts. If you want to share your story too, use #LoveWithoutMeasure and tag @Similac US  🤍

♬ original sound - user8276237552639

The partnership felt personal from the start for Madison and Bouffard. 

Not only was the infant nutrition brand already familiar to the family, but its message about rejecting unrealistic expectations struck a chord with Madison during this season of motherhood.

“John and I were both Similac babies; both of our parents gave us Similac when we were babies growing up, and then when we started combo feeding, Lucy, around like 6 months old, we also gave her Similac, just knowing that it was such a household name,” she says.

But what ultimately drew Madison in was the conversation surrounding the initiative itself. As both a creator and someone scrolling through the same feeds as everyone else, she understands how quickly social media can make parents question themselves.

“The message behind this campaign really struck me because of the way that I parent now, and being a content creator and a content consumer, I loved what they were trying to do with the movement, ‘love without measure,’” she explains. “There is so much shame and guilt that we already feel as parents — not knowing how to navigate the day-to-day or just being so confused.”

Jon Bouffard and Alex Madison.
Credit: Courtesy of Alex Madison and Jon Bouffard

As a new mother herself, Madison says she knows that feeling all too well. One minute, social media can offer advice, reassurance and community; the next, it can leave people wondering why their homes, routines or parenting journeys don't measure up. And according to a survey completed by Similac, "81% [of parents] say social media creates an idealized or unrealistic view of parenting."

Madison describes it as a “double-edged sword,” acknowledging that even she isn't immune to the pressures that come with constantly seeing carefully curated snapshots of family life.

In fact, she says learning to embrace the messier realities of everyday parenting has taken time.

“It's taken a lot of practice, because I feel like when I see those perfectly pristine homes, it creates an unrealistic expectation for myself,” Madison admits. “So we've slowly but surely tried to be like, let's just leave it, you know? Like, this is real life…not everything has to be so curated.”

Jon Bouffard, Alex Madison and their baby.
Credit: Alexandra Madison/Instagram

That mindset has also gradually influenced the content she and Bouffard create together. 

While their videos remain rooted in humor, Madison says they're also intentional about showing the realities behind the laughter. For her, authenticity isn't about sharing everything — it's about making people feel seen.

“We try to show up as the most real and authentic versions of ourselves, even though we're skit-based, because, again, I think that it helps people feel less alone, feel more seen, the less curated and picture perfect that things are,” she explains. 

Madison tells PEOPLE that perspective has only deepened after the couple experienced a heartbreaking pregnancy loss in 2024. Opening up about such a painful chapter was difficult, but the response from followers reminded her of the power of honesty.

“I was like, this is something that I'm experiencing, that is the most vulnerable thing that I've ever walked through, and it felt like not speaking on it would be doing a disservice to our audience,” she shares. 

Alex Madison and her baby.
Credit: Alex Madison/Instagram

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Now, as Madison approaches a year of motherhood with Lucy, she hopes parents can give themselves permission to step away from the comparison game and focus on what's happening right in front of them.

While she believes social media can be an incredibly positive tool, she also knows how easy it is to get caught up in everyone else's perfect highlight reel.

“If people are feeling this sense of heaviness from getting stuck in a comparison trap or feeling like they're not doing things right, there is no perfect way to parent,” Madison tells PEOPLE. “Get offline, go outside, touch grass, because I think that focusing on the things that you can control, and not comparing yourself to the perfectly curated feeds on the internet, is so important.”