Moms everywhere can attest to the work that goes into being a mom and how much of that work is invisible to everyone else.
What's funny-but-not-funny is how they often get criticized or shamed for how they do things, at least until their loved ones need something.
TikToker and mom @jj_the_original shared how she always packs the suitcases for her family's trips, as well as supplies for family outings, and she is always getting picked on for "overpacking." So for the family's latest vacation, she gave her family a few tips on what they should bring, but otherwise, she let everyone pack for themselves.
After giving each of them a chance to pack, she surveyed their items and packed a bag of her own, complete with everything she needed for the trip, plus items she knew that her husband and kids would miss while they were away.
The catch was, if someone needed an item from mom's bag, they'd have to "pay up." Each item that the kids needed would cost 20 minutes of child-free mom time, and each item that her husband needed would cost literal cash, since he has "adult money."
As she explained the rules in the car, her kids went from excited for the trip to the realization that they hadn't packed nearly as well as they thought they did. The TikToker's husband refused to say anything and wore a stony expression as he kept his eyes on the road and hands locked on the steering wheel as she filmed from the passenger seat.
You can watch the video here:
Some anticipated how this was going to go.
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
The day before the viral video, the TikToker shared her plan and anticipated what her family would need during the trip, pointing out items that they'd left behind.
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
In a follow-up video, the mom revealed that the kids had needed enough items to accrue nearly three hours of mom time.
Her husband, on the other hand, "always had to be right," so even though he was clearly uncomfortable, he refused to ask for any items that he'd forgotten to pack.
You can watch the follow-up video here:
Some found this to be a red flag and encouraged the TikToker to never pack for him again.
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
On the flip side, viewers felt the mom had taught her kids an important lesson while still making sure their needs were met.
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
@jj_the_original/TikTok
It seemed obvious to viewers that the dad did not enjoy this form of packing. By being held accountable to pack his own bag, and being expected to pay up for the things he might have missed, it made it blatantly obvious to everyone who was the more prepared packer.
The children more than likely learned something from this, as they realized more is needed for a trip than a few t-shirts and a toothbrush. Perhaps their dad could take a page out of their book.
