Popular TikTok couple Matt and Abby Howard, known for sharing content about their life with two young children, are facing criticism after they were accused of leaving their toddlers unattended during a cruise.
Abby shared on a since-expired Instagram Story that she and Matt had left their two sons—Griffin, 2, and August, 1—alone in their cabin while they went out to dinner on the cruise ship.
Why They Left Their Kids Alone?
In her post, Abby explained that after five nights on the cruise, it became clear the kids weren’t enjoying it, which affected their own experience. So, they decided to switch their dinner plans to after the kids’ bedtime and monitor them via FaceTime.
“The regular baby monitors don’t work on the cruise ship unless you’re really close by, so FaceTime worked out much better for everyone.”
Abby shared.
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TikTok Responds with Concern!
Many TikTok users were quick to criticize the couple’s decision to leave the children unattended, with some expressing serious concerns.
One commenter pointed out the danger of posting about leaving their kids alone in real time:
“What if a follower, or worse, a stalker, was on that ship? They are so lucky nothing terrible happened.”
Others shared their disbelief:
“I’m not even a parent, but I would never leave my nieces and nephews alone like that. I don’t even let them go get ice cream toppings without holding my hand!”
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Matt and Abby Respond to the Backlash!
On September 16, Matt and Abby addressed the criticism in a TikTok video, clarifying the situation and defending their parenting decisions.
Matt started by saying, “We take our role as parents extremely seriously. We love our children more than anything, and we’re very protective of them.” He explained that they were not alone on the cruise but were traveling with Abby’s extended family.
Matt added, “There was always someone with our children at all times. Period.” Abby acknowledged that her original Instagram Story led to some misunderstandings, which is why she deleted it.
She echoed Matt’s assurance that they would never leave their children unattended: “We have not, would not, and will not ever leave our children alone.”
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Extra Precautions!
Abby also mentioned that their children always sleep in blackout tents when they travel, which have a slot for placing a baby monitor. Even when they were in the same room with the kids, they still used the monitor.
“When we took turns at family dinners, we always turned on FaceTime so we could have eyes on them, even if someone else was with them.”
Abby explained.
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Grateful for Family Support!
Matt ended the video by expressing how thankful they were for Abby’s family, who allowed them to enjoy some time away from constantly monitoring the kids.
“We spent a lot of time in the room watching the monitors, but thanks to Abby’s family, we did get a little break.”
Matt said.
The couple hopes this clarification puts an end to the controversy and reassures their followers of their commitment to their children’s safety.