A mother whose empty Christmas stocking sparked controversy on TikTok last year says her husband has redeemed himself.
“This year … it will definitely fill mine,” Aubree Jones, a mother of six in Utah, told TODAY.com. Aubree’s husband Josh Jones tells TODAY.com he was called a “terrible husband” because of their viral video.
The couple shares daughters Trendy, 12, Zaylee, 10, Sunny, 8, Truly, 6, and Journey, 2. Their son Rocky turns 1 on Christmas Eve.
In the viral footage, shot in 2021 and posted last Christmas, Josh films a room full of Christmas stockings. There’s one for Josh, every kid – and even the family dog. Wait, but what is that there? Suddenly Josh sees an empty stocking.
“Whose is this?” Josh asked from behind the camera. “Is this an extra?”
“No, that’s mine,” Josh’s wife Aubree Jones said with a small laugh.
When Josh asked why Aubree’s stocking was empty, she replied, “I don’t know.” Santa Claus didn’t come for me.”
“It took him ten years to notice it was empty all the time,” Aubree captioned the clip, “PSA for husbands everywhere.”
“It had to be in a light-hearted way to show what mothers go through,” Aubree tells TODAY.com.
But the internet wasn’t laughing.
“We women all felt that in our stomachs. That hurt,” someone wrote in the comments.
Yet another added: “I got a little teary… you can tell there’s some pain behind the ‘that’s mine’.”
Other comments included: “This is a prime example of mom doing everything and no one notices,” “I would be divorced” and “This literally broke my heart.”
Several people commented that an empty Christmas stocking shows how mothers who “create Christmas magic for everyone” are not appreciated.
“I know it seems like I was sad sitting on the sidelines with no presents around me, but I wasn’t sad at all,” Aubree tells TODAY.com about the video. “I did what most moms do, which is just enjoy the fact that my kids are happy on Christmas morning.”
“There was a lot of unnecessary negativity directed at Josh,” she adds.
Aubree shared in a follow-up video, “Everyone is more mad at my husband than me… he forgot to fill my stocking, but he definitely remembered to make me feel loved and special through gifts and many other things. Everyone can relax.”
The couple say they share Christmas duties: Aubree runs errands for the kids, while Josh stays up late building and assembling toys before playing Santa Claus on Christmas morning.
Aubree says Josh gives her great gifts; they just don’t fit in a Christmas stocking.
“When it comes to Christmas gifts, my husband has always been great,” Aubree tells TODAY.com, adding that this year, “He’s done all the shopping for me — I haven’t bought him anything yet.”
In fact, when her video went viral, Aubree says, she had already received seven gifts from Josh.
Josh admits he needs to pay more attention to the little things, saying: “Love languages are really important to understand.”
Aubree admits that she didn’t make her feelings clear to Josh.
“My mother filled her own stockings and even got her own presents… she taught me that if I want something, I just got to get it,” Aubrey says, adding, “I never thought anything was wrong was along. ”
Last year, Aubree forgot to fill her stocking and suddenly realized, “It would be nice if he would fill it.”
Aubree says that since the viral video, Josh has filled her stockings with thoughtful treats.
“I listened,” Josh says. “I’m not traditionally the best at gifts, but… I’ve gotten a lot better.”
This year the couple is practicing Christmas minimalism.
Each family member will receive four gifts, plus matching Christmas pajamas. Their children will also play “Secret Santa” for each other.
“We raise our children to think about others from an early age,” says Aubree. “Especially our little boy, who will grow up to fill his wife’s stocking.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
