Mom of 2 Boys Goes Viral with Advice Videos Aimed at Her Future Daughters-in-Law (Exclusive)

Stacey Brandow has two sons ages 13 and 16

• After a surprise viral moment, mom of two Stacey Brandow has grown her TikTok audience with a video series
• Her 'Dear Future Daughter-in-Law' videos are TikToks filled with advice and anecdotes about her sons, aimed at their future wives
• Brandow tells PEOPLE she didn't plan for the popular, sentimental series, adding, "I kind of just do what hits me in the moment"

Stacey Brandow is sharing her wisdom on social media with the hopes her future daughters-in-law will see it someday.

Her journey began in 2022 when the 47-year-old mom of two posted a TikTok video directed at her future daughters-in-law. In it, she humorously recounted an experience from her early days as a new mom. At a family gathering shortly after giving birth, Stacey was holding her newborn and feeling extremely hungry while watching her partner go back for seconds at the buffet. In a moment of frustration, she amusingly thought to herself, "I'm going to kill you."

To her surprise, the video quickly went viral, amassing more than 1 million views and thousands of comments within hours. “I’m like, holy cow. I was very overwhelmed. I’m like, what is happening?” Brandow tells PEOPLE exclusively.

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.

Related: Mom Writes Letter to Ex-Husband's New Girlfriend Before She Meets Their Kids — and Her Message Goes Viral (Exclusive)

Since then, Brandow, who now has more than 89,000 followers on TikTok, has continued to share insights and advice based on her own experiences and those of her friends and family.

In one video, Brandow discusses her future daughters-in-law's roles on Mother’s Day, including how it’s not their responsibility to remind her sons to call her. In another video posted in December 2022, she tells the story of a particularly touching moment shared with one of her sons, promising her future daughter-in-law he'll show up in similar ways for her someday, too.

“I don’t really plan them out,” she explains of her videos. “I kind of just do what hits me in the moment. If I think about it or someone mentions something, sometimes I’ll make a note and do it that week or when I have time. I took a little break from it, but I was inspired again to start it back up. So I recently started it again, and I think I’m going to try to keep it going.”

@therunninghockeymom

#dearfuturedaughterinlaw #dearson #womensupportingwomen #daughtersinlawsoftictok #daughter #love #motherinlawlove #motherinlawsoftiktok #raisingsons #boymom #midfortiesmama ♬ I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

Her 13- and 16-year-old sons, along with her friends and husband, are supportive of her efforts. Brandow notes that her family has established a few guidelines about what she can and cannot discuss. “I respect that, but for the most part, they think it’s fun, they’re proud of me, and they encourage me to do it,” she says.

Through her videos, Brandow aims to provide a good laugh and share relatable mom experiences. She hopes to challenge the negative stereotypes often associated with mother-in-laws and foster a positive, welcoming atmosphere for her future daughters-in-law.

“I feel like there’s this vibe about mother-in-laws being toxic or that in-laws are toxic,” she says. “I’m trying to manifest and pray that my boys marry someone they truly love — someone who feels welcomed in our family and has a genuine partnership with them. I want to be a healthy mother-in-law, someone they can turn to without feeling any demands or rivalry."

She continues, "I know that whoever they choose to marry should be the most important person in their lives, even if that’s difficult for me to accept.”

Related: Mom of 4 Struggles with Her Kids' Fear of the Dark. Then She Finds a Genius Solution to Get Them Sleeping Soundly (Exclusive)

@therunninghockeymom

#dearfuturedaughterinlaw #boymom #motherhoodunplugged #momofboys #momsoftiktok #momtok #momover40 #raisinghusbands #raisingboysbelike #raisingboysright #raisingboysintomen ♬ Going To The Chapel - The Paragons

Although her sons are still a ways off from marriage, she hopes that one day she’ll be able to fully embrace her role as a supportive and understanding mother-in-law.

As for the TikTok videos, she hopes to continue to make them — specifically ones about parenting young children — and save them to her computer, so years down the line, she is able to ensure they never disappear.

“I think it would be fun if they'd be willing to watch the videos and take them in lightheartedly," she says of her future daughters-in-law. "And for sure, the TikToks that are more heartfelt about the boys — I’m sure they’d be interested in those too. If there were something similar about my husband, I’d definitely want to listen in,” she adds.