Adele Barbaro raised $120K, went viral, and still calls herself ‘just a mum doing her best’
From spaghetti dinner served straight onto the table to raising $120K for charity, Instagram-famous mum, Adele Barbaro is proof that keeping it real is parenting’s ultimate power move.
She’s the Aussie mum-of-two who’s made us laugh, cry, and breathe a sigh of relief with her raw, relatable parenting posts.
What started as a sleep-deprived mum sharing diary-style thoughts from a Mother and Baby Unit has grown into a full-blown community of over mums 215,000 Instagram followes who’ve had enough of the highlight reel and just want the real deal.
Bounty Parents caught up with the viral parenting personality to talk spaghetti hacks, mum guilt, and the moment her son loudly learned where babies come from… on a packed train.
You’ve been sharing the real and raw side of parenting for years now. What made you start, and why do you think it’s resonated with so many mums?
It’s all started when I had my first child. He was an IVF baby my infertility really took its toll on me. But we were one of the lucky ones! When he was 4 months old, my husband was working overseas and I was struggling with both sleep and breast feeding.
I ended up going to a Mother and Baby Unit for support and started sharing my journey as a diary. I felt like I was failing as a Mum. I didn’t realise it would resonate with so many other mothers. I had false expectations of what maternity leave would look like and I think many mums and dads struggle behind closed doors without asking for help to talking about it.
Talk to us about some of your most viral pieces of content. What was it, and why do you think it connected so deeply with your audience?
My most viral video was probably when I put spaghetti and meatballs straight onto the table, without and plates or bowls, and lets the kids eat! The kids thought it was hilarious and I liked the idea of less dishes for once! Although, it did almost end in a food fight! It was having a bit of fun with the mundane and monotony that is parenting. I think most parents relate to wanting a break from that!
From monster giveaways to viral hacks – you do it all! What’s been your proudest moment?
I feel that since I have a large platform, I have a responsibility to use it for good and share the opportunities that I get with my audience too! So I have held free nights out for hundreds of women across Australia and taken 30 women to Bali completely for free! But my proudest moment was my Live Show this year which raised over $120,000 for Cancer charity, Love Your Sister this year and had almost $750,000 in prizes for the guests including holidays and a car.
You’ve built a powerful community by being honest about the highs and lows of motherhood. How do you decide what to share, especially during the tough moments?
I share my every day life. The good, the bad and the plain old boring because I am just a regular Mum having the same experiences as my audience! My content has changed a bit from the poo explosions and the sleepless nights. My kids are a lot older now and some things are just off limits now. They are their own little people and I have to respect that. They are involved in as little or as much as they want. When both kids go to school, you start to get your own identity back if that makes sense, so things are less about the hard time with kids (although I still have the same battles) and more about me, as a woman. Not just a mum.
What’s one parenting moment that’s made you laugh until you cried… and one that just made you cry?
Oh it’s hard to pick one. Probably when I was asked by my son where babies come out of, on a packed train. I tried to change the topic but he just kept asking. I had a whole carriage of passengers looking at me! So, I whispered the answer to the and asked if we could please continue talkings bout it at home. My son looked at me and exclaimed, ‘ewwww, they will get hair all over them!’ I’ve never laughed so much but was also mortified! Cry? Finding out that I was pregnant with my second. It was a complete surprise! I was going to be having a little girl who came along and shook things up when we hadn’t planned it and were told we couldn’t conceive naturally! That was a very special day.
What would you say to mums who feel like they’re not measuring up to the “perfect” parenting they see online?
There is no such thing as perfect parenting, I assure you, so don’t try to strive for it. Instead, be genuine and true to yourself, so your kids see a real and relatable role model. There is no text book and every child is different, so read the advice, listen to the tips and tricks and then, do it your way!
What do your kids think about your job and being a bit famous on Instagram?
They think it’s really cool and obviously love the opportunities that come with it. But Harvey in particular is quite inspired by my job. He loves video editing and journaling his experiences, like travel.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of MONOPOLY, a game that’s been part of so many Aussie childhoods. With fun new Expansion Packs like Go to Jail, Buy Everything, and Free Parking Jackpot, it’s had a cheeky little glow-up. Have you played Monopoly with your family? What kind of player are you – the rule-follower, or the competitive one who’ll do whatever it takes to win?
Monopoly is nostalgic for me. I played it as a child with my family and now I play it with my kids. We started with Monopoly Jnr and now play the full board game. The Expansion Packs are a brilliant edition, speeding up the game and making it even more entertaining. I’m a rule-follower and I make sure everyone else is too!
