Popular TikTok stars Matt and Abby Howard have vehemently denied allegations that they left their two young children unattended in their cruise ship cabin during a recent family vacation.
Many news outlets are not reporting on this clarification that the couple has made.
The couple, who have amassed a significant following of 5.3 million on their joint TikTok account, faced backlash after sharing details of their trip and the measures they took to keep an eye on their children, Griffin, 2, and August, 13 months.
In a since-deleted Instagram Story, Abby explained that they had initially planned to take their kids on the cruise for five nights but decided to cut the trip short due to the children's discomfort.
To ensure their kids were safe while they enjoyed dinner together, the couple set up baby monitors in their cabin.
"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. "So THEN we switched our dinner time to AFTER their bedtime and FaceTimed the monitors while we ate. (Baby monitors don’t work on board unless you’re only like 10 feet away). And that worked out muchhhh better for everyone!:)."
However, some fans expressed concern about the couple's arrangement, noting that if the children woke up while alone in the cabin, they could potentially leave the room or access the balcony without supervision.
Others pointed out the vast size of cruise ships and the potential risks if an emergency occurred while the parents were far from their cabin.
Even though the social media post had been deleted, many other platforms picked up the story and it quickly went viral.
The couple did not respond to the criticism which made the allegations get even more traction. But the couple finally broke their silence to set the record straight.
In response to the criticism, Matt and Abby have now clarified that their children were never left alone. In a recent TikTok video, Matt emphasized that they take their parental responsibilities very seriously and love their children deeply.
"People started to speculate, and believe, that we had left our children alone in their staterooms. And that is just completely untrue. We had someone with our children at all times on this boat. Period," Matt stated.
Abby added that she understood how her initial story might have led to misunderstandings and apologized for any confusion.
She explained that her family had joined them on the cruise and was always present to supervise the children whenever she and Matt stepped away.
"And we’re so thankful to them," Matt said. "Because we spent a lot of our time on this boat in our staterooms manning the baby monitors. And if it wasn’t for Abby‘s extended family, we really would have not gotten a chance to really get out of the room."
The couple's clarification has helped to alleviate concerns among some fans, who have expressed support for the family and their efforts to ensure their children's safety.
Others were still skeptical of the clarification and saw it as an effort to hide what really happened.
Whatever the case may be, travel experts and cruise lines alike say you should never leave young children unattended on a cruise ship, even if the stateroom seems safe enough. This is a violation of cruise line policies as well.
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