Having a family restroom in a store or airport has been such a great thing for parents. Having the additional room makes it easier to change diapers or use the bathroom without feeling crowded. Some parents are fiercely protective of the space, even though it’s still considered public.
A new mom shared a rant about the family restroom in her local Target. She was looking for sympathy or solidarity, but what she wasn’t expecting was for people to call her out for her words.
The mom had a clear message she wanted to convey.
TikTok user @runningwithkyle shared her rant while sitting in her car holding her infant. “I just had a full-blown mental breakdown in Target,” she said in the video.
She went on to tell a story about her difficult day. While she was with her baby, she was experiencing heavy bleeding and bled through her pants. So she stopped by a Target to pick up new underwear and a pair of pants. She then expressed her relief at the ability to use the family restroom at the store. Changing your clothes in a stall isn’t easy, especially with a baby in tow. And her baby was in a stroller, making everything harder. We get it.
@runningwkyle if you wouldn’t park in a handicapped spot bc ur not handicapped why would you use a bathroom meant for families if you are just one person!? it’s almost always an employee too
♬ original sound – runningwkyle
When she checked, the family restroom was occupied.
“If you wouldn’t park in a handicapped spot bc ur not handicapped why would you use a bathroom meant for families if you are just one person!?” she captioned the video.
But, the mom figured that by the time as she finished paying, the bathroom would be available. When she went to check again though, it was still locked. She emphasized that she was trying to avoid the regular women’s bathroom because she didn’t want her baby’s crying to be a disturbance for other shoppers.
However, she was forced to use the women’s bathroom after waiting for five minutes. She pointed out that it took her 10 to 15 minutes to change in the regular restroom. As she finished, her curiosity got the better of her, and she checked to see if the family restroom was still occupied.
“Let me just wait and see if this is really a family, and a freaking Target employee walks out,” she said. She explained that seeing this made her cry.
“All I wanted in that moment was just the privacy to just go in there, take care of myself. My baby can freak out in there, so it’s not a bother to anyone in the store or the main restroom. I just wanted to be able to do that and then leave and go home,” the mom said.
People didn’t give her the grace she was expecting.
“Don’t leave the house next time then , unless it’s your own home bathroom anyone can use it,” the first comment reads. “You never know the reason they need their own privacy in there. So entitled !”
Someone else commented: “No girl it’s family ACCESSIBLE! NOT family reserved.”
“Ma’am, my bubble guts dgaf about your family😭 ,” another person commented. “Sorry not sorry. -also a mom.”
Someone else shared: “I used to have a colostomy bag and would search for family restrooms bc I needed privacy and would take forever because I was also ‘taking care of myself’. You never know what others are going through.”
“I get you were upset.. but WAITING to see if it was a family or not is weird,” another person pointed out.
Someone posted a video in response.
TikTokker @sammyopamp, shared a video of her own, remixed with Kyle’s video. “How do you know what they were doing in there? Those bathrooms are absolutely crucial to some people. Maybe a mother is pumping,” she clapped back.
“Maybe someone needs to inject themselves with a life-saving medication, and that bathroom have the hazard disposal. They can’t just go to the regular bathroom and throw their needles in the garbage,” she added.
She also called Kyle out for comparing a family restroom to a handicap parking space, saying they “are not comparable.”
@sammyopamp Target needs to be put her name on the door…#r#runningwkyle#target#bathroom #familyaccessibility #momtok #momlife #fypage #foryoupage #viral #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Sammyop
Kyle doubled down.
In a follow-up video, the new mom addressed critiques of her entitlement. She explained that she asked the Target manager if employees were told to use the family restroom. Allegedly, the manager told her no, but that some employees do anyway. The manager also claimed there was an employee bathroom in the back of the store.
Still, people weren’t feeling her explanation. “The fact that you actually went to a manger just to ask them that is insane 😂 it’s never that serious!” one person said.
“How could you have a problem with a HUMAN being using a restroom… no matter if they have an employee one or not,” another comment reads. “Do you think Target would fire someone over using a different restroom? hence PUBLIC.”
