Millennial Hailed ‘Supermom’ for Sharing Her 5–9 Before Her 4 Kids Wake Up – ryan

Some parents barely have time to sip their morning coffee before chaos ensues but one mom from Maryland has left the internet in awe of her 5-9 routine.

Stephanie Fisher, a mom of four, posted a reel on Instagram (@stephfi___), giving viewers a glimpse of how she spends the early hours of the morning with timestamps.

The 32-year-old wakes up at 4:30 a.m., pumps breast milk, hits the gym for a workout, gets ready for the day, makes breakfast for her kids, cleans and even manages to squeeze a doctor appointment into her calendar – all before 9 a.m.

For Fisher, taking control of her mornings has been a game-changer. “I found that when I was waking up with my kids, or worse, after them, our mornings felt totally chaotic,” she told Newsweek. “Everyone was rushed, there were often tears and whining, and I’d find myself feeling irritable before the day had even started.”

Once she started waking up earlier and becoming intentional about how she spent that time, she felt calmer, more present and in control – qualities she believes make her a better mom.

“I used to think waking up at 5 a.m. was insane and that I could never be one of ‘those people’ but once I experienced the benefits, I couldn’t go back,” she said.

In the reelFisher explains that she does her 04:30 wake-ups three days a week and this is made possible when she prioritizes sleep.

“I need seven to eight hours for it to be sustainable,” she told Newsweek. “It’s about being intentional, not running myself into the ground.”

Before she had kids, Fisher explained that she would wake up around 30 minutes before work and exercise after work. Becoming a mom changed everything.

“As a working mom, I want to maximize time with my kids and show up as the best version of myself,” she said. “That means carving out space in the morning for me to reset, fuel myself and get ahead of the day because once the kids are up, the pace doesn’t stop.”

Fisher’s original reel of her morning routine has clocked up over five million views, leaving many TikTok users feeling inspired by the mom’s balancing act.

“I love this and I firmly believe you’re an inspiration and role model to the modern women,” one user wrote.

Another called Fisher “supermom” for fitting in self-care, fitness and mealtimes before work.

“You’re all out of the door before any of us are even out of bed!” a third user wrote.

“I’ve had hundreds of moms message me saying they’ve started waking up earlier, getting back into a routine, or working out again postpartum because of what I’ve shared,” Fisher said.

But others were quick to question why her husband was just “making breakfast”, claiming that the imbalance of responsibilities didn’t seem “fair”.

Newsweek spoke to Dorcy Pruter, co-parenting expert at Conscious Co-Parenting Institute, who recognized the divide online.

“For some, (the routine) says, ‘Look what’s possible.’ For others, it screams, ‘You’ll never measure up.’ Both are valid; both are real,” she said.

Pruter believes that the reactions to these reels are intense because they tap into the cultural obsession with optimized motherhood.

It’s aspirational for some and punishing for others, especially single or divorced moms, those in high-stress homes or those parenting through alienation.

“Moms aren’t mad that she’s doing it. They’re mad at the voice in their own head whispering, ‘You should be doing it too’,” Pruter said. “It’s not the 5–9 that’s the issue. It’s what we make it mean about the rest of us,” she added.

Fisher clapped back at the negative reactions and told Newsweek that her Instagram page is focused on inspiring moms to reclaim time for themselves.

“If I were creating content about dads, I’d have endless things to post about how incredible my husband is,” she said. “I wouldn’t have built a family with someone who didn’t contribute equally. We’re a team, but this space is about empowering women to prioritize themselves, because we’re often the ones who put ourselves last.”