Smashing trays of ice against a bathtub might look like an unusual social media trend, but for some mothers online, it's presented as a way to release anger without hurting themselves, their kids or anyone around them.

Known as the "Throwing Ice In Bathtub Therapy" trend, the practice involves throwing and smashing ice cubes into an empty tub or shower as an outlet for frustration.

The trend has circulated on TikTok since 2023, becoming particularly associated with videos about "mom rage" and postpartum struggles before resurfacing amid renewed debate in August 2026.

So, where did the ice-throwing practice come from, why did it become controversial online, and what's behind its sudden resurgence? Here's what you need to know.

Where Did The 'Throwing Ice In Bathtub' Trend Come From?

One of the earliest known examples appeared on TikTok in December 2023, when TikToker healmewellness posted a video of herself shattering ice cubes from a bowl in a shower as a way of expressing rage.

She described throwing ice as a healing method and a way to "shatter something" without endangering herself or those around her.

@healmewellness rage. a feeling I have felt scared at times to feel. a feeling that has come into my life more than once. I highly recommend throwing ice, it's safe for you and the people around you and man sometimes it's so good to shatter something #fyp #healing #healingjourney #rage #release #youareworthyoflove💛 ♬ original sound – angie.cip

The idea gained considerably more attention in April 2024, when TikToker shea_happy posted a similar clip of herself throwing ice into a bathtub, claiming that her therapist had recommended it as a way to release anger. The video garnered more than 8.2 million views and 827,000 likes in two years.

@shea_happy

The person afraid is my poor puppy

♬ whos afraid of little old me – overlays ⸆⸉

However, the trend's best-known example arrived several days later, when TikToker livingthrulove, also known as Mama Jen, posted her own version on May 3rd, which later became known as the "Angry Mom Throwing Ice" video.

Captioned "My new therapy," the video showed the new mother repeatedly throwing ice cubes against her bathtub while explaining that anger was one of her biggest struggles as a new mom.

The post exploded on TikTok, receiving over 48 million views and 3.6 million likes in the following years, rapidly spreading outside of "MomTok," where it became a major topic of discourse.

@livingthrulove My new therapy🤌🏼 #momtok #momsoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #momrage #postpartumrage #angerissues #momlife #newmom #postpartum ♬ original sound – mamajen

Why Did The 'Angry Mom Throwing Ice' Video Become Controversial?

Throughout mid-2024, Mama Jen's viral video escaped TikTok and sparked a broader debate over both the practice and the decision to film it for social media.

Some viewers defended the method as a comparatively harmless way of channeling anger, while others mocked the staged nature of recording, editing and uploading the process.

One viral criticism came from X / Twitter user @kirawontmiss on May 7th, 2024, who questioned why someone would set up a camera to repeatedly film themselves acting angry. The post received millions of views and tens of thousands of likes in the following weeks.

Following the discourse around her viral clip, Mama Jen later addressed the backlash in a November 2024 follow-up video.

@livingthrulove Responding to all the hate! #momtok #mom #rage #postpartum #controversial #parents #viral ♬ original sound – mamajen

Meanwhile, other mothers continued posting their own versions of the practice in subsequent months as it persisted on social media throughout late 2024.

TikToker mama_vu_, for example, shared a video in December 2024 depicting herself using ice throwing to cope with postpartum rage, earning more than 409,000 likes since it was posted.

@mama_vu_ #postpartumjourney #ppdawareness #postpartumrage #copingskills #momsoftiktok ♬ Night Trouble – Petit Biscuit

Similar examples continued appearing throughout 2025 and 2026, with creators generally presenting the practice as an outlet for anger or other overwhelming emotions, particularly women and new mothers.

@nic_goncalvesss Replying to @autumnrosehoneyyy ♬ original sound – DrumSmoke

Why Did The Ice-Throwing Trend Resurface In August 2026?

The videos received another surge of attention on X / Twitter in mid-August 2026 amid online discussion surrounding the highly publicized trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children amid reported mental health struggles after childbirth.

On August 19th, Twitter user LukaLev reposted mama_vu_'s older ice-throwing video with the caption, "What are we even doing anymore," generating nearly 8 million views in a day.

What are we even doing anymore 😂 pic.twitter.com/KNzo1c3CNE

— Luka (@LukaLev) August 19, 2026

The account then reposted Mama Jen's viral 2024 video shortly after, framing the practice as throwing ice into a bathtub "so you don't hurt your kid," which received more than 9 million views.

The reposts sparked renewed arguments about motherhood, postpartum mental health and how social media depicts coping mechanisms.

One quote-tweet from Twitter user oliveegger joking, "We're gonna have our rights taken away aren't we," received over 4.3 million views and 76,000 likes in a day.

We’re gonna have our rights taken away aren’t we https://t.co/jWOEgSzmhQ

— bird 🐇 (@oliveegger) August 19, 2026

Other users criticized the videos more harshly. Twitter user uncledoomer, for instance, described Mama Jen's video as "performative psychosis," arguing that participants were exaggerating extreme behavior for social media attention.

As a result, a trend that had existed for nearly three years was suddenly thrust back into viral internet discourse, with the ice-smashing videos becoming a flashpoint in a much broader and more contentious conversation surrounding parenting and postpartum mental health.

A lot of people in our society are suffering from a sort of "performative psychosis" where they pretend to be psychotic for social media attention for so long that they become actually psychotic. a sort of "fake it till you make it" for being insane pic.twitter.com/ifrAerVs07

— doomer (@uncledoomer) August 19, 2026

What Are Some More Examples Of The 'Throwing Ice In Bathtub' Trend?

@tonyrubaclini #sopranos #thesopranos #tonysoprano #lindsayclancy #fyp ♬ Crazy – Gnarls Barkley & CeeLo Green & Danger Mouse

@marlashevitz82118 Terrified of Hurting Their Children Like Lindsay Clancy, Mothers Turn to Throwing Ice Into Bathtubs to Release Their Anger. #new #lindsayclancy #fyp #mother #icecubes ♬ original sound – marlashevitz82118

@threechinss turns out I don't actually feel my emotions and I'm angry all the time. I told him I think I need to start taking fighting classes. he suggested this in the meantime #angry ♬ busy doin hot girl ish – Chelsea

@slightlyoffensive.tv An Aries ♈️ always protects his cubs 🦁 #patrick #lindsay #clancy ♬ original sound – slightlyoffensive.tv

---

For the full history of the Throwing Ice In Bathtub Therapy trend, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for even more information.