TikTok couple Matt Howard and Abby Howard are facing backlash, once again, for their family cruise.
Matt, 26, and Abby, 25, detailed their vacation with sons Griffin, 2, and August, 12 months, via Instagram earlier this week.
“So we ended up taking them for 5 nights and it became apparent that they weren’t enjoying it and therefore we weren’t either,” Abby wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story. “So, THEN we switched our dinner time to AFTER their bedtime and FaceTIMED the monitors while we ate.”
She continued, “And that worked out muchhhh better for everyone!”
According to Abby, their baby monitors didn’t “work on board” unless parents were within “10 feet” of the device.
Despite Matt and Abby working out a solution to keep an eye on their sons while enjoying a dinner date, they were met with a flurry of social media outrage.
“Why is no one talking about Matt & Abby leaving their kids alone to sleep in their cruise cabins while they had dinner?!?! What the hell,” one social media user wrote via X.
Another added, “Everything I learned about Matt and Abby on TikTok is against my will, but everything I learn gets worse and worse.”
Social media users were angered that the pair would leave their children unattended while exploring a massive cruise ship. Neither Matt nor Abby have publicly addressed the backlash.
Ahead of the scandal, Abby had posted additional stories and photos on Instagram about the trip. As of Sunday, September 15, the uploads have all been removed from her page.
The Howards have been together since high school, eventually getting married in July 2019 before welcoming their sons. Since becoming parents, the “Unplanned” podcast hosts have shared their relationship and parenting highs and lows via social media.
“We want the focus to be us and how we are handling parenting rather than just focusing all on Griffin,” Abby told Raising Arizona Kids in December 2022. “We never want to sacrifice our relationship or our family for [social media fame]. That was one of my biggest concerns going into this. Through constant conversation and always prioritizing us and our family is how we keep doing this.”
Matt concurred, noting their family is the No. 1 priority compared to their careers.
“If you would have told me this would be our life three years ago, I would have laughed,” Matt explained to the outlet. “We used to dream about one day working together and now we get to and it’s the best thing ever.”
