Parents are facing a growing number of challenges as they fight an international pandemic. As people rush to stores to load up on supplies they might need while hunkering down at home, it's becoming harder to acquire certain essentials, such as toilet paper and diapers. A mom from Washington, Utah, named Lauren Whitney recently contended with this firsthand and has gone viral for asking other parents to be more thoughtful in their purchasing.
The mom of four was on a mission to find diapers for her 21-month-old daughter Roselynd when she saw empty shelves and took to TikTok to react.
She posed a heartbreaking, tearful question to other parents, "To all you crazy people buying out all the diapers: How am I supposed to diaper my child if I can't afford to buy 20 at a time like you can?"
Whitney, who also has a 7-year-old, 5-year-old, and 4-year-old, explains to CafeMom that she was left "panicking" upon seeing the picked-over stock.
"It had been a very bad week for me, and going to the store to see empty shelves was the straw that broke the camel's back," she says.
Thankfully, the Utah mom's plea went viral and has been heard by lots of people who have offered to support her family.
"I have been blessed to have a lot of people offer to help," she notes. "It has been very hard for me to decline so many wonderful and willing people. But I didn't post the money for charity or money. I really just posted it to bring awareness to the situation."
The positive feedback and offers that have come pouring in have made Whitney's "heart full," she says.
Seeing that there's "still so much good in this world" gives her hope for her children's future, she notes.
But there's really only one bottom line for the mom of four.
She sums it up here: "I just want everyone to understand how hoarding and bulk-buying affects those of us that can't afford to do that."
As stressful as her shopping trip was, Whitney plans to do her best to stay positive. Like other parents, Whitney is focused on spending time with her kids, who are off of school until the end of the month (for now). "They're crazy and hyper and energetic, but they're the reason I breathe, so I need to keep my head up just for them," she says.
