Most parents know that enjoying a vacation with toddlers can be a win-or-lose situation, which is why coming up with solutions when their toddlers aren’t having the most fun feels very important so the entire trip isn’t ruined for everyone. Well, one TikTok couple found themselves having a hard time enjoying their cruise because their toddlers weren’t enjoying themselves. The solution they came up with has them facing heavy criticism across social media. Matt and Abby Howard shared details via their Instagrams of the vacation they took with their sons, 2-year-old Griffin and 12-month-old August. When they wanted to enjoy some alone time, they left their toddlers alone on the cruise.
More from CafeMom: TikTok Mom Has an Epic Meltdown After Son’s Unusual Name Is Ripped Apart on the Internet
Abby's Instagram story has since expired.
“So we ended up taking them for 5 nights and it became apparent that they weren’t enjoying it and therefore we weren’t either,” Abby, 25, wrote in a since-expired Instagram story. “So, THEN we switched our dinner time to AFTER their bedtime and FaceTIMED the monitors while we ate. And that worked out muchhhh better for everyone!”
The toddlers were left in the room alone.
Yes, you read that correctly. Matt and Abby left their toddlers alone in the room while keeping an eye on them through the baby monitor. The mom also shared that the monitors didn’t “work on board” unless they were within “10 feet” of the device. So they made sure to stay in range while enjoying some alone time while their children slept.
More from CafeMom: Mom Leaves 6- & 8-Year-Old Kids Home Alone so She Can Go on Weeklong Cruise
Social media users were appalled.
One person made a post on Reddit, baffled by the situation. “Not only did Matt JUST make a video saying his child only took TWO seconds to get away from them and crawl underneath an airplane seat. NOW they leave them alone in a cruise room??? These kids apparently can get ‘loose’ in two seconds….and y’all just leave them alone for what an hour or more? Cruises don’t baby proof the ship and Abby keeps updating people on how nothing was centered around younger children..,” the Redditor wrote.
“AND did I mention anyone could have broke into their room or could have been watching them being ‘influencers’ and all, see an opportunity and I don’t even want to think about it. What the actual F. I never wanted to think parents actually disliked their children that much, but holy crap I would never want to grow up and watch videos like this that my parents made….”
Other Reddit users weighed in as well.
“What shocks me the most is this was a multi-generational 5 day family cruise celebrating Mom & Dad’s 30th Anniversary. Why couldn’t Grandma, Matt, and Abby rotate nights where they watched the babies while the rest of the group dined? That’s what parents do!! 🤦🏻♀️,” one person pointed out.
“My biggest concern for Matt and Abby to post stuff like this is how they are normalizing things that are definitely ways to neglect their children to all their young followers. Like this is the biggest no no in the rules of parenting,” another person commented. “Like for the love of god don’t leave your children unattended especially when you are on a boat with millions of STRANGERS who could see this post and take the opportunity to snatch them up! And for their naive fans they will see this and be like ‘oh so it’s totally fine to do this when I have kids.'”
Neither Abby nor Matt has addressed the criticism.
Abby nor Matt, 26, has publicly responded to the backlash. They both, however, have deleted any posts about the trip.
“It annoys me that there’s no accountability for them. Like they can just delete the picture from their stories and act like it was never there,” one person commented. “Interested in whether they address it or not and how they would actually address it. Probably break down in tears and try justify it in some way. I don’t feel like there’s any way to justify it to be honest. There was NO ONE with the kids and if they try say there was they would be absolutely lying because they absolutely would have put that in the story if so.”
