Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 4, 2022. It has since been updated.
In a TikTok video, a mom of four, Bri James, revealed what her house looked like after just four days of not cleaning up after her family. Of course, her home looked like a tornado rolled right through it. She noted how all the mess was a consequence of “two lazy adults” not picking up after themselves. Additionally, the mother clarified that the house was a mess, although it was not dirty. This was indeed an important distinction to make. Fellow TikTok users were torn, unsure whether this was an acceptable way for children to live, Bored Panda reports.
People Are Torn About This “Lazy” Mom Of 4 And Her Honest View Of Her House After 4 Days Of Not Cleaning https://t.co/hq5S5ml9XQ
— Maci Young (@maciwyoung) May 1, 2022
“Four days, guys, I have not done dishes or picked things up for four days,” James said in her TikTok video. “It is not dirty, it is simply messy.” She added that she was going to spend her day cleaning. The clip featured exactly what you would expect from a household of six people, which had not been cleaned in half a week. There were children’s toys everywhere, along with clothes, dishes and more. In some parts of the video, there were pieces of overturned furniture, perhaps from her children playing around the house.
Since it was first uploaded, the TikTok video had been viewed more than 18 million times. Also, it received 1.2 million likes. In the comments section, however, fellow TikTok users seem divided. On the one hand, users had been incredibly kind toward and supportive of James. These folks, mostly parents of multiple children themselves pointed out that a messy home was basically inevitable when you had a large family. “I have five kids and my house will get this bad in an hour,” one user wrote. “No one should judge this.” Nonetheless, there were some extremely judgmental comments as well.
One TikTok user commented, “I have four kids. I worked a full-time job [as a] single mom. My house never looked like that. That is ridiculous, no excuses.” Meanwhile, others pointed out how a messy home could affect a child. “I grew up in a house like this and it affected me in more ways than I know still,” another individual stated. “Your kids need you to keep it clean.” James, who recognized this, posted clean-up videos as she reorganized her home and got rid of the mess. For those who know what it is like to go from a super messy space to a clean one, the videos can be incredibly satisfying to watch. You can check them out on her TikTok page by clicking this link.