A Texas mom was called heartless online after taking her daughter on a shopping spree as part of a social media trend, only to make her put everything back before leaving the store.
The trend the mother appeared to imitate has recently become popular on social media. In these videos, parents take their children to stores such as Target and let them choose a number of items that matches the grade they are about to enter. For example, a child heading into sixth grade is allowed to pick six items. The parents then purchase the selected items and share the shopping experience with their followers online.
The video showed the mother taking her daughter to Target and telling her to pick out 11 items because she was about to start 11th grade. As the shopping trip continued, her daughter became visibly excited while choosing the items she wanted. Among her selections were a pair of leggings, a matching outfit set, and a phone case. At one point, her mother even asked, “You like that?” as her daughter continued shopping.
After her daughter picked out all 11 items, the mother told her to put everything back. “What? Why?” her daughter asked in disbelief. Her mother then explained that the start of the school year was approaching and that they needed to save their money for other necessities. “You really think I’ma participate in a stupid trend?” she told her.
The mother quickly faced backlash online. Many viewers accused her of intentionally disappointing her daughter for the sake of content. After the criticism, she posted another video showing her taking her daughter to Dollar Tree, where she was allowed to pick 11 items instead.
That decision sparked further criticism. Some commenters said that she had taken her daughter to a much cheaper store after raising her expectations at Target. Others even offered to send her daughter money so she could buy the items she originally wanted. The mother continued responding to the backlash by posting additional videos criticizing those who had condemned her actions.
Viewers Criticize Texas Mom Over Video With Daughter
The video sparked reactions online. Many viewers criticized the Texas mom for not buying the items her daughter had picked out. Several accused her of hurting her daughter’s feelings simply to create content for social media. “The way my mouth dropped this is abuse,” one person wrote. Another commenter said, “Some parents are obsessed with humbling their kids. It’s gross.”
More viewers criticized the mother’s controversial video and expressed sympathy for her daughter. “Mind you she didn’t even look that excited to begin with, slowly became excited and then had her day squashed… poor thing,” one person wrote. Another commenter offered to help the teenager. ”Is there a way we can get that baby her 11 items (or more) frr? I’ll buy her some items! Congrats on you hitting 11th grade baby I know with a mama like that it HAD to be a hard journey but you’re almost done. If anyone knows how I can get it pls lmk,” they said.
The video sparked a conversation about whether parents should avoid raising their children’s expectations only to intentionally disappoint them for the sake of content. It also led to broader discussions about how repeated experiences that children perceive as humiliating or emotionally hurtful can affect parent-child relationships over time. Many viewers even argued that such behavior may damage trust and lead to estrangement later in life.
