The algorithm of the main feed—called the For You Page or FYP— is extremely personal. It feels like the app is curating content especially for you; which it is, based on what you like, how fast you swipe past something, and other ways you interact with the app. But my favorite part of TikTok is how real it gets. If Instagram is polished and filtered, then TikTok is its unvarnished, unabashed cousin. People regularly dance in front of piles of dirty laundry and don’t care that their lighting isn’t perfect. Part of the charm of TikTok is that it’s real people, living real lives, going viral for the every day, not the extraordinary. So who should you follow? While any social media platform can be overwhelming, TikTok is especially so, with the hyper-specific algorithm and trendy prompts that sometimes feel like a foreign language. To help you follow the best of the best, we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting, hilarious, and informative TikTok accounts made by parents, for parents.
David Ogleton
David Ogleton nails the dad joke every single time. This father of six has his comedy bit down to a tight 10 seconds, and his clean dad jokes are ones that will make you laugh, and if you repeat the jokes, they’ll have your kids laughing too.
Evan Kyle Berger and Kevin Laferriere
Evan Kyle Berger and Kevin Laferriere are known as The Dumb Dads from The Dumb Dad Podcast. These two comedians (their tag line is “It’s pronounced ‘dad,’ the dumb is silent") try to “parent harder, not dumber.” They show the oft-maligned side of parenting known as fatherhood in a humorous light.
Lindsey Gurk
Lindsey Gurk has had a bunch of viral videos, but perhaps none are as relatable as her “A Conversation I Imagine My Kids Having” series in which she imagines how her toddler and baby conspire against her.
Allison Mertzman
Technically this is Allison Mertzman’s account, but her wife Leanne is featured heavily. The pair share everything you ever wanted to ask a gay couple, from their coming out stories, to if they want to have more kids, to what their kids call them (answer: Leanne is “mama” and Allison is “mommy”).
Jessica Woo
If you can’t get “Let’s make some lunch for my kids!” out of your head, you have Jessica Woo to thank. The mother of three has spent hours meticulously and creatively making bento lunch boxes for her kids, complete with elaborate themes, cut-out fruit shapes, and fun food picks. She never makes you feel bad about not doing the same for yours, which is part of her appeal. The videos are mesmerizing, and millions of people agree.
Cori Gabrielle
Lots of TikTokers gain platform fame quickly, and Cori Gabrielle did so by simply repeating stories about her day with her daughter. She gets real about parenting, mental health struggles, being a single mom, and more. You can’t help but root for someone who is so open and honest with her audience, and over 2 million people currently follow along for her candor.
My Nguyen
Mom to two girls, My Nguyen started a food blog called My Healthy Dish. She’s since turned it into a social media empire, with millions of followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. (She’s also an author!) Her girls feature regularly on her channels, with Nguyen weighing in on things like what they like to eat, their boba obsession, and their cosplay outfits.
Meredith Steele
Meredith Steele isn’t afraid to get super personal on her channel. Her page is filled with videos of her recapping situations in her life, usually in her car waiting to pick up her kids. People are lapping it up to the tune of over 9 million likes on videos featuring content such as realistic Walmart bathing suit try-on sessions, her daughter’s reactions to her TikToks, and ways to be kind in everyday life.
Terrell and Jarius Joseph
Terrell and Jarius Joseph are fathers, creators, and advocates. All three monikers shine through on their channel. The married fathers to two aim to normalize LGBTQ+ parenting, break stereotypes around gay parents, and have fun with their kids.
Emmaline Carroll Southwell
Emmaline Carroll Southwell takes you through the parenting journey of her three children, but the main attraction is conversations with her children in the car before and after school, which are hilarious and insightful. She soared to popularity on the app after posting a poem that her two older sons read about acceptance, which now appears on her website as Our Family Pledge.
