Influencers Matt and Abby Howard’s Most Controversial Parenting Moments

High school sweethearts turned social media influencers Matt and Abby Howard are, once again, causing an uproar amongst their followers.

The “Unplanned Podcast” hosts and parents of two sons under two — Griffin, 23 months, and August, 10 months — recently revealed that they are “boycotting” Father’s Day this year since it lands around Matt’s birthday.

During the May 29 episode of their podcast, which “dives into genuine conversations surrounding relationships and family,” the Phoenix, Arizona-based couple said they’ll be celebrating the holiday in September so Matt, 25, can solely enjoy his birthday.

“Last year, [Father’s Day] was June 18, which is Matt’s birthday, so he had Father’s Day and his birthday on the same day and I will say I did kind of combine the holidays,” Abby, 25, said, acknowledging she “failed” her husband.

“It’s ok, though. You were pregnant. You were uncomfortable,” he chimed in, still adding that the day “kind of was a bummer” because they just got back from their babymoon and he had to grill dinner for everyone.

Abby said she was “disappointed” in herself for not doing more for her husband — further admitting she simply got him a “cake from Dairy Queen (DQ)” and “we had just our family over.”

A clip from the podcast has garnered 9.4 million views and thousands of comments on TikTok, with users sharing their reactions to the pair’s Father’s Day plans.

“I’m failing to see how she failed, it seems like you had a good celebration, what else was he expecting? 😅,” one follower wrote, with another noting, “Imagine if his birthday was on Christmas Day😂😂😂😂😂.”

Scroll for more of Matt and Abby’s controversial moments:

‘Traditional Marriage Roles’

In a now-deleted 2022 video, Matt decided to “surprise” Abby by cleaning the house and taking care of their newborn son so she could go to the gym. He explained that they had a “traditional household,” so Abby cleaned and took care of the baby. Viewers were shocked when he stated, “Don’t be fooled by me picking up my house because I’m not typically the one that does it. And don’t be fooled by me taking care of my son because most of the time, my wife does that, too.”

Postpartum Differences

During a podcast episode in January 2024, Matt and Abby discuss whether it “feels different down there” after baby. “Yeah, actually,” he insisted, as she grimaced. “It doesn’t go back to exactly the way it was before,” he added.

‘Still Not Enough’ 

In February 2024, Matt, an aspiring singer, shared “the saddest song I’ve ever written”: “Still Not Enough.” With lyrics like, “I’m wondering if I’m depressed / I can’t be right it don’t make sense / I’m no doctor but that’s not like me / I put a smile on my face and play the part to hide the pain cuz there’s a couple kids in the backseat,” followers assumed he was claiming his family, and more notably Abby, was “not enough” for him.

“I love my wife and kids more than anything, and my sadness has nothing to do with them,” he wrote in the caption for the video.

‘Divorce Is Not an Option’

Abby declared in an April 2024 podcast that divorce is simply “not on the table” for them, no matter what. She even warned couples listening that going into marriage believing divorce is an option will lead “themselves towards divorce.”

Making Homemade Formula 

Matt shared a video of himself making homemade formula in May 2024, which is known to be unsafe for babies. He told followers “it’s actually pretty good,” but then captioned the clip: “Don’t actually give homemade formula to your baby. Doctors don’t recommend it. This was a fun science experiment though.”

Carrying Baby on Shoulders 

In 2024, Matt posted a video of himself out for a hike with his oldest son in a carrier on his back and his youngest on his shoulders. Followers were upset when they noticed he let his baby fall asleep on his shoulders unsupported.

“My 9 month old was also asleep and I didn’t know it,” he wrote on Instagram Stories, adding a laughing face emoji.

“The [whole] time dad’s talking and walking at a good pace and baby is like bobbing around super unsupported,” a Reddit user noted. “Also yes, he can sit up at the age but barely. Could still hurt himself going backwards not being held, especially sleeping.”

Canceling Father’s Day 

The couple decided to “boycott” Father’s Day 2024 because they believe it’s unfair that Matt has to celebrate both the holiday and his birthday at the same time. Abby said they “talked about it and we think it’s best if Matt celebrates Father’s Day in September.” They plan to make a “big hoopla about it” since “nothing goes on in September.”

Leaving Toddlers Alone on Cruise Ship

In September 2024, the couple detailed a family cruise they took with the kids (aged 2 and 12 months at the time), and included the confession that they’d left their sons alone in their room while they enjoyed an adults-only dinner on board.

“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.”

Although Abby assured that the arrangement “worked out muchhhh better for everyone,” 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.”