We all know that a Target run is never really as simple as we intend it to be. First, the Dollar Spot lures us in. Then the kids’ clothing section, followed by the the Hearth & Hand display that makes us want to put everything in our cart. The next thing you know, you’ve spent over an hour and $200 when all you’d planned on was a “quick” trip inside.
That’s partly why people were so shocked at first when they saw a mom’s Instagram post go viral for admitting that she left her baby in the car while running into Target. Luckily, though, it became clear that the whole thing wasn’t the act of a neglectful mom, but rather one big hilarious joke.
The reel was shared in early March by influencer Bonnie Engle
It’s been going viral ever since, with millions of views and more than 1,000 comments.
In it, a camera does a close-up on a handwritten sign taped inside the window of a car. It reads: “My baby is OK. He has his snacks and a drink! I’m in Target. Be back soon!”
At first read, that message is enough to make the heart stop
After all, there have been far too many upsetting stories about babies and toddlers being left inside hot cars. But luckily, this wasn’t that kind of story.
As the camera pans away from the handwritten window sign, we begin to see that Engle’s “baby” is not much of a baby at all.
Instead, it’s her husband.
“Please no judgment,” Engle’s caption reads. “He is safe & well.”
As he sits in the driver’s seat, her husband snacks on popcorn
By all accounts, he seems pretty happy to be where he is. (In other words, not trailing behind his wife in Target complaining about how long it’s taking her or how much money she’s spending.
In the comments, people seemed relieved to learn this was all a big joke
As opposed to the alternative, which was a mom putting her baby in harm’s way.
“For a second I was about to get really upset … I was not expecting that,” one person commented.
“My heart dropped and then I LMAO,” added someone else.
“It’s so much easier to leave them in the car,” another person said.
Others could not stop laughing.
“I’m dead,” wrote one mom, while another declared the video to be “genius.”
With 114,000 followers on Instagram, it’s safe to say Engle knows her audience
She often shares humorous skits about the highs and lows of parenting, which is probably how she earned such a loyal following.
Most of her clips are highly relatable — especially for moms of three, who feel like they’re constantly running on empty.