A mother has defended herself after facing backlash for a TikTok video that appeared to show her leaving her 10-month-old baby alone on a beach while she went for a swim. The clip, which has been viewed 4.6 million times, sparked outrage among users who accused her of negligence.
Renee, a 28-year-old mother of two from Brisbane, Australia, posted the video as part of a popular online trend where people ask viewers to 'keep an eye' on something while they exit the shot. In the footage, she walks away from her sleeping baby, who is shaded on the beach, and heads towards the sea.
However, Renee insists her baby was never left unattended. She had met another parent on the beach the previous day and felt confident leaving her child with them while she swam. She explained that her partner was also watching from the water, and the baby was only about 10 metres away. 'He only stayed asleep for four minutes before waking up,' she said.
Despite her explanation, many TikTok users were critical. Comments included 'That's horrible' and 'I would never'. One user wrote, 'With the way the world is going... I would’ve never let my child there.' Another added, 'I won't even leave my phone, WTF, a baby? Are you serious?'
In the video's caption, Renee wrote: 'He is being watched… no one is out here stealing babies - please just take it as a joke. Mumma wants to have a swim too.' She later added that another mother had offered to watch her son while she spent time with her partner and toddler in the water.
Renee, a registered nurse, said she posted the video as 'light-hearted fun' and did not intend to upset anyone. She criticised viewers for lacking critical thinking, saying they watched a 20-second video and commented 'quite horrible things with no context'.
