A young mother of two gained widespread online attention due to her unique family setup. In one of her viral videos, she shared an interesting encounter her family had at the emergency room where she had to clarify to the doctor that the teenager with her was her son, not her brother.

In her 20s, Sage Pasch has gained viral fame on TikTok by chronicling her daily life, caring for her 17-month-old toddler and 15-year-old teenage son. The mother of two revealed that her non-traditional family setup often catches people off guard.

“Everybody gets a little confused because my fiancé and I are definitely younger to have a teenager,” she says. Pasch recounted a challenging incident in one of her viral videos when she had to take her teenage son to the emergency room due to concerns about a possible broken bone.

The young parent explained how the doctor didn’t believe she was the teenager’s mom and actually thought she was lying. In a TikTok video posted on September 16, 2023, Pasch shared insights into her unique family situation.

She finds it challenging to make mom friends due to her age, making this online community even more valuable.

She revealed that she’s raising two children: a teenager and a toddler. The teenager is Sage’s fiancé’s younger brother, Nick, whom they adopted after his birth mother’s demise.

Sage explained in a video how the E.R. doctor didn’t believe she was her teenager’s mom. “So, the doctor walks in and he’s like, ‘I need to speak to mom,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s me.’ And he kinda just looked at me weird and goes, ‘You’re his mom?’ And me not wanting Nick to have to explain the entire situation, [I] was like, ‘Yeah, I’m his parent/guardian.'”

Sage continued, “And then he asked my teenager, ‘Where’s your real mom?’ And I hate when people ask Nick this because it’s so uncomfortable for him and I know it’s like an upsetting topic to talk about and he doesn’t just wanna like talk about it to anybody. And he literally just looked at the guy and was like, ‘She’s dead,’ and no one ever knows how to respond to that.”

Pasch acknowledged the confusion among her followers and explained, “He doesn’t wanna be referred to as the adopted kid in every single video he’s in. A lot of you are also confused [about] how I’m old enough to adopt a kid, and I guess I just look abnormally young for my age.”

“I’ve made a couple of other videos explaining this, but yes, sometimes, he calls me mom; sometimes, he calls me Sage. It’s complicated,” she added. Pasch elaborated that the circumstances surrounding the adoption were sensitive, making it a topic her son preferred not to discuss openly.

When addressing sensitive moments in her videos, Pasch employs humor to navigate uncomfortable situations. Reflecting on this, she stated, “I can kind of make a joke and laugh at it later. I think everybody is interested, but it’s fun to have a toddler and teenager. That age gap is great because I can do a lot of different things with each of them.”

While the family is accustomed to fielding questions in person, they were taken aback by the level of online interest they received. Pasch shared, “It was just me doing my own thing at first; I didn’t really share any of this family stuff. Then, a couple of months ago, I posted a video titled ‘Bleaching my teenager’s hair,’ and I had no idea it would go viral. Everybody had questions, and that kind of made it blow up.”

Through TikTok, Pasch found a platform that has allowed her and her teenager to connect on a deeper level. In her videos, she has documented their routine activities, addressing questions about her unconventional family, her and her teenage son’s ages, their morning rituals, and his school routine.

To her surprise, many followers expressed disbelief, deeming her “too young to have a teenager or a toddler,” speculating whether her teenage son was her sibling or her boyfriend.

Pasch mentioned that her son often shares stories about fellow students, recognizing him from her videos, a fact that he genuinely enjoys. She viewed this experience as a bonding opportunity, especially considering their unique circumstances.

She remarked that he appreciates the attention he gets at school because of the videos. It has brought them closer together, considering he entered their lives at a later stage, not during his early childhood.

For Pasch and her fiancé, finding suitable activities for their children poses a common challenge. The young parent acknowledged that it’s difficult to discover activities that cater to both kids’ interests without making her teenager feel childish or her toddler seem too mature.

Additionally, as the family spends more time together, Pasch expressed delight in observing the blossoming relationship between her toddler and her teenager. Initially apprehensive due to the significant age gap, Pasch revealed that she adores their bond.

She was concerned when she got pregnant because of the age difference. The young mom was unsure how they would get along, but they’d been lovely together, genuinely fond of each other.

Pasch and her entire family have received tremendous support and love online. She expressed her appreciation for building a community of moms, especially as a young mother with a teenager. The TikToker finds it challenging to make mom friends due to her age, making this online community even more valuable.

She noted that the overwhelming kindness from this community outweighs any negativity she receives. Pasch hopes that by sharing their daily life through vlogs, she can shed light on families that deviate from the conventional norm. She eagerly anticipates sharing more about their daily routines and upcoming holiday activities, aiming to convey the message that unique family situations are entirely acceptable.