A TikToker has gone viral after sharing how she made her Christmas wish come true all by herself.
In the clip, which has amassed 2.2 million views, Jackie Reinhart (@jackrein316) started by explaining how she had asked her husband three times to go to a jewelry store with their kids to buy her costume jewelry as a present.
However, she complained that he always had questions when she asked. Like asking where to go and what he should do if a child picks something “ugly.” In her eyes, Reinhart said that part of the gift is him figuring it out. In turn, she said she found his lack of effort “frustrating.”
So what does she do about the jewelry?
After two Christmasses and a birthday, her husband failed to do this for her. So, Reinhart decided to take matters into her own hands by taking the kids to the store herself.
She then shared how, once they found the jewelry section, she encouraged her daughter to pick out a piece of jewelry as a Christmas present for her. She said that the necklace the daughter picked cost $26, and was a stamped metal design of motifs like suns, moons, stars, and dolphins.
Because of the price, design, and the fact that it was no longer a surprise, Reinhart redirected the daughter to a different shelf. However, she then asked to get something for herself, and when Reinhart said no, she walked away.
Then, Reinhart described how, after her son started looking at the jewelry, she asked him to go to the store assistant and get her to box it up. This is so that, while she will pay for the product, she doesn’t actually see it.
After returning to the car, Reinhart revealed that her son got her earrings, which she was currently wearing. The earrings were silver, dangly, with a purple jewel in the centre. She describes them as “exactly what I wanted,” and concluded, “I made my own Christmas wish happen.”
@jackrein316 I know the situation sounds crappy, but I’m just really happy that I made my own Christmas Wish come true.#storytime #jewelry #gift ♬ original sound – Jackie Reinhart
Commenters were divided
However, Reinhart’s experience proved divisive in the comments. “I feel like I’m not rooting for anybody here,” one wrote.
“I’m stuck on your daughters choice being shot down instantly but your son having free rein no questions asked,” another added. “This is so upsetting,” a third complained. While a fourth agreed, “This is such a weird situation as a whole. Your husband has reasonable hesitations, especially considering you rejected what your daughter picked.”
However, the majority of commenters were more concerned about what was going on in the background of the video. As Reinhart told the story, she walked from the car park into a store, and could then be seen walking around the store before returning to the car. In the back passenger seats, a young child and a toddler appeared to be sitting there.
“Hey, bestie… ” one wrote. “Was the baby in the car by themselves this whole story?”
“You left the kids in the car by themselves?” a second queried, while a third straight up asked: “Who was in the car with the kid?”
Reinhart didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and email.
What is weaponized incompetence?
During the start of the video, Reinhart shared how her husband would ask a lot of questions and seem unsure about how to navigate jewelry shopping with their kids, to the point that she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Arguably, this is an example of weaponized incompetence. Psychology Today defines weaponized incompetence as “strategically avoiding responsibility by pretending to be incapable or inept at a task so that someone else helps, takes over, or stops delegating tasks to them.”
While there is no definite proof that Reinhart’s husband intended to exhibit this trait, based on what the TikToker said, it certainly at least appears to fit the criteria.
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