When a mother of six began sharing glimpses of her daily life on TikTok, she never anticipated the backlash she would face for having a large family. The comments that targeted her children’s living conditions came as a shock.
Nicole Wong, a 31-year-old single mother from Leeds, England, strives to provide the best for her little ones. Balancing her role as a part-time aesthetics practitioner, she resides in a two-bedroom council house. Like many other individuals in the public eye on social media, Wong decided to document snippets of her life on TikTok. Her intention was to entertain her audience with her videos, completely unaware of the reaction she would receive regarding her overcrowded living space.
The trouble began when netizens started leaving derogatory comments on her posts upon discovering that her six children—Nyala, 12; Nevaeh, 11; Neesha, 8; Nathaniel, 7; Neiko, 4; and Nikita, 2—share a single bedroom.
Wong shared that she moved into the council house twelve years ago when she was a mother to just one child. Over the years, she welcomed her additional babies, and after her fifth child, she realized the need for a new home.
“I have been on the housing list for five years, and even when a house becomes available, I’m still number 50 in the queue,” Wong expressed. She believes that the authorities don’t prioritize her case because all her children are in good health.
@the.wisdom.family7 6 Kids in 1 Bedroom 🤯 #fyp #council #leedscitycouncil #2bedroom #mess ♬ original sound – The Wisdom Family
In their current residence, Wong and her children face the challenge of inadequate sleeping arrangements. Their bedroom consists of two single beds, two bunk beds, and a double bed. Unfortunately, when netizens saw the living conditions in her TikTok videos, they harshly criticized her for subjecting her children to such cramped quarters.
Apart from the overcrowded bedroom, Wong and her children lack a proper dining space. Due to the limited living area, they have resorted to having dinner on the couch and sitting on the floor, unable to accommodate a dining table.
@the.wisdom.family7 Replying to @Leonie Ann The Boys Reactions.. 🥰♥️🕷️💙🕸️ #spiderman #bedroom #boybedroom #boybedroommakeover #fyp #makeover ♬ original sound – The Wisdom Family
Wong, who works part-time as an aesthetics practitioner and is a part-time student studying accounting, strives to improve her living conditions. She dreams of securing a bigger house for her family, but the timeline for achieving that goal remains uncertain. Nevertheless, she firmly believes that strangers on the internet shouldn’t judge her without understanding the struggles she faces. Recalling her initial experience with online trolls, she admitted, “When I first started getting trolled, I was so upset.”
@the.wisdom.family7 Bedtime 🛌 #bedtime #bedtimeroutine #fyp #thewisdomfamily #goodnight #children #sleep ♬ Every Kind Of Way – H.E.R.
In response to Wong’s TikTok videos, people advised her to refrain from engaging in sexual activity, blaming her for having so many children despite her inadequate living conditions. Wong never anticipated that sharing her life online would invite such venomous comments from individuals she had never met or interacted with. However, she had much to say in her defense.
One TikTok user criticized, “Prisoners get more space than that,” while another commented, “I feel like that should be illegal.” Netizens expressed their discontent over Wong raising her six children in a small house.
@the.wisdom.family7 Bedtime 🛌 #bedtime #bedtimeroutine #fyp #thewisdomfamily #goodnight #children #sleep ♬ Every Kind Of Way – H.E.R.
Another netizen questioned Wong about her decision to have six children when she couldn’t provide each of them with a spacious room. This TikTok user labeled Wong as “selfish” for expanding her family.
While some individuals resorted to mean comments, others extended messages of support to the single mother who was doing her utmost to provide her children with a good life. One Facebook user shared, “Some homes are lonely and abusive. This home sounds full of love.”
Similarly, another netizen commended Wong for “providing a roof over their heads.” Several Facebook users also reminisced about their own childhood memories of sharing rooms with their siblings.
After reading the comments from netizens, Wong expressed, “I wish people wouldn’t be so judgmental because I am trying my best, and I would love a bigger home for my family. It’s not always that easy.” She wanted people to understand that she was actively working towards improving her living situation.
In another story, a mother who received backlash for feeding her eight adopted kids from a baby pool faced both negative and positive comments from netizens.