Matt and Abby Howard Establish Boundaries for Family Content Filming
Matt and Abby Howard have set clear “boundaries” regarding family content creation.
The influencers, married since July 2019 and parents to sons Griffin, nearly 3, and August, 22 months, have implemented screen time limits and a stringent work schedule following some earlier controversial posts.
“When we’re off the clock, we’re truly off the clock. That’s our rule,” Abby, 26, shared on the “Jinger and Jeremy” podcast on Wednesday, June 25. “It’s particularly challenging, especially for Matt, who has a different way of thinking. He finds it tough to juggle multiple tasks. For me, I want to shield my kids from seeing me work. By establishing this boundary, I prefer to keep our phones away. We don’t have cameras rolling all the time.”
Abby emphasized that they focus on “us time” during the evenings and seldom create videos outside their defined work hours — a strategy aimed at reducing the impact of social media on their daily life.
“Boundaries mean no phones whatsoever,” she continued. “We do keep in touch with family and friends, maybe send a text or FaceTime when the kids are around, but we aren’t making videos during those times. It’s been quite liberating, honestly, as social media can become overwhelming, and it feels good to reestablish our boundaries.”
Before refining their daily routine, the couple — who boast over 5 million TikTok followers — made headlines in September 2024 when Abby revealed via Instagram Stories that she and Matt, 27, dined without their kids during a cruise vacation, opting to use FaceTime to check in on them in their room.
Abby noted that they initially took Griffin and August to cruise ship dinners, but after five nights, “it was evident they weren’t enjoying it, which affected our enjoyment too.”
“So, we adjusted our dining schedule to be after their bedtime and FaceTimed with the monitors while we dined,” she added, explaining that their baby monitors “were ineffective on the ship unless you’re only around 10 feet away,” making their alternative “significantly better for everyone.”
Followers were outraged, leaving a torrent of messages.
However, a source told Us Weekly at the time that the families traveling with the Howards on the cruise had “adjacent rooms and were taking turns watching each other’s kids,” assuring that the children “were never alone, and the use of baby monitors served as an additional precaution.”
Previously, the Howards faced scrutiny over their “traditional” roles in marriage, their homemade baby formula, and canceling Father’s Day celebrations.
The hosts of the “Unplanned” podcast explained to Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo that their intention for starting their brand was to share their journey of marrying young. However, this focus shifted once they became parents, marking a challenging transition.
“I hadn’t fully thought about my life beyond moving to paradise and marrying my best friend. Parenthood wasn’t on my radar,” Matt shared, reflecting on how sharing their life via social media evolved. “Now, I’m documenting as it unfolds, but until recently, I’ve consciously started to share less and prioritize privacy to figure out my identity and how to be the best dad for my kids.”
“Ultimately, we want our followers to connect with us, not just our children,” Abby stated. “Though it may seem like we’re constantly recording, it’s actually quite structured… We have designated work hours, during which our kids are usually not around — they’re in the house, but we don’t feature them.”
“We previously lacked structure in our days,” Matt added. “But we’ve implemented that now.”
Abby mentioned they wish to maintain the “community” they’ve built on YouTube and social media but require “some separation” now that their children are more involved. The podcast has helped achieve that aim.
“I was initially nervous to share with friends and family about our second pregnancy. We held off a bit, as I feared their judgment — I was judging ourselves too. Having kids so close in age seemed daunting,” Abby explained. “But eventually, as we discussed it with followers, many shared similar experiences of having children 15 or 13 months apart, sending messages of encouragement. Hearing that their children are now best friends at ages 21 and 22 was uplifting. It was a great way to kick things off, reminding us that change is necessary, especially with two little ones.”
