One birthday invite has TikTok split in two.
When it comes to kiddie parties, no kid wants to be left out of the fun.
But when Kristen Fox, a mom of 5-year-old twin girls, said she wouldn’t allow one of her daughters to attend a shindig that the other wasn’t invited to, all social media hell broke loose.
“Either both are going to the party or [neither is] going to the party,” said Fox, a content creator from Los Angeles, in a post — unwittingly igniting a digital firestorm.
“I literally cannot think about the hurt that that will cause in the girl that was not invited,” she cringed.
Cyber critics, however, fiercely disagreed with Fox’s both-or-none position.
“Twin here … PLEASE don’t take away the opportunity of the one child to attend bc the other was not invited. That’s life,” argued a commenter.
“It’s NOT an all-or-nothing situation,” barked another. “You do need to let them be their own person as well.”
Amid the mayhem, a few supporters did side with Fox, saying she was right to protect her daughter’s feelings.
But unfeeling naysayers refused to budge.
“It’s not about YOUR girls, it’s about the birthday girl,” wrote an unsympathetic cynic. “Look out at 18 when one gets asked out on a date.”
However, perhaps Fox is more concerned about one of her tots feeling friendless.
Little ones of Gen Alpha, children under age 14, are struggling to make playmates amid the loneliness epidemic, according to a September report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan.
“Friendships can play a significant role in children’s overall health and development, emotional well-being, self-esteem and social skills,” Mott Poll Co-Director Sarah Clark said in a statement. “Supporting children in making friends is a balance of guidance, encouragement and giving them space to navigate social situations independently.”
And previous research has warned that tikes who grapple with loneliness are more likely to develop psychosis later in life — especially women.
The potential for long-term trauma aside, Fox shared a follow-up post, revealing that RSVPing “No” unless both twins could go was the best move for her girls.
“Mother knows best,” she said smugly after asking her daughters if they would even want to attend a party sans their sister.
The twosome, individually, said they’d rather spend time with one another.
“You heard it straight from the horse’s mouth,” their mom declared in the video’s caption.
