Social media influencers Matt and Abby Howard have come under fire after sharing details about their recent family cruise. The couple, who boast over 5.3 million followers on TikTok, sparked controversy when they admitted to leaving their two young sons, Griffin, 2, and August, 13 months, in their cruise cabin while they went out for dinner, monitoring the boys remotely via baby monitors and FaceTime.
Matt and Abby Howard: A Parenting Debate
In a now-deleted Instagram story, Abby explained their reasoning behind the decision. “We took them to dinner for five nights, but it became clear they weren’t enjoying it, and neither were we,” she wrote. The couple then decided to dine after their kids’ bedtime, using baby monitors to check on them. However, Abby also noted that “baby monitors don’t work on board unless you’re only like 10 feet away,” adding that using FaceTime “worked out much better for everyone.”
Concerned fans pointed out the potential dangers of leaving toddlers unattended in a cabin, including the risk of the children waking up, wandering onto the balcony, or leaving the room. Many critics highlighted the sheer size of cruise ships, emphasizing that the Howards could have been too far away to respond quickly in an emergency.
“The Children Were Not Unattended”
Amid growing criticism, Matt and Abby took to TikTok to set the record straight, denying that they left their children unattended. “We take our role as parents extremely seriously, and we love our children more than anything in the world,” Matt stated in a video. “People started to speculate that we had left our children alone in their staterooms, and that is just completely untrue.”
Abby clarified that her initial post had led to some misunderstandings, which is why she deleted it. The couple revealed that Abby’s family had also been on the cruise, and someone was always with their children when they left the room. The baby monitors were just an additional way for them to keep an eye on their kids.
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“People shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Yet there is always going to be those people and I am so sorry that you are having to go through this” someone commented on the post.
“We’re so thankful to Abby’s extended family,” Matt added, noting that without their help, they wouldn’t have been able to enjoy any time away from the staterooms. Despite their efforts to address the issue, the incident has sparked a larger conversation about parental responsibilities and safety while traveling with young children.
