TikTok users pay it forward to moms in new trend

To some, a purse with its tags still on in an aisle where it may not belong looks like a piece of discarded inventory.

But when shopper DeNaesha Gonzalez spotted a new, shiny, unpurchased silver purse at Target — shoved between items like kid’s Tylenol and baby lotion — she saw it as a symbol of something else:

A parent’s sacrifice.

The 28-year-old mom shared a video on TikTok earlier this month showcasing the accessory left behind in the baby aisle, writing, “SHE DESERVED THE PURSE.”

Thousands of users commented under Gonzalez’s TikTok and shared stories of their own experiences sacrificing expenses for themselves in order to provide more for their kids.

The video has received more than 20.5 million views since it was posted on Sept. 4. It has sparked a trend on the platform in which people began paying it forward by hiding cash or gift cards in boxes of diapers, cans of baby formula and other family products. Many hoped that parents in need would find the gifts and use them to get something nice for themselves.

“There were just times where I didn’t have or there were times where I had to put down certain things so that my son could have,” Gonzalez told NBC News. “And so I think it just was a moment where I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is so familiar.’”

Hundreds of people have made videos participating in the trend using the hashtag #shedeservedthepurse. Gonzalez said she hopes to partner with brands to give more back to other parents.

While many have praised the trend for highlighting the invisible struggles of parenthood, others felt that the videos would enable bad actors to steal the gifts intended for families. Videos of TikTok users joking about going into baby aisles to search for and take money from baby products have racked up millions of views since the trend took off. Others have filmed their local Target baby aisles, showing ripped diaper boxes and lids removed from baby formula cans.

Still, many online expressed gratitude for the trend, which has sparked a broader online discussion about how parents can often sacrifice their own wants and needs to give to their children. While some parents may experience financial difficulties, others shared that they can feel guilty buying things for themselves even if they can afford to do so because the money could always go toward their kids.

Courtney Olson, 30, who participated in the trend, said it has opened up a discussion about the way many women feel they’re the only ones struggling with motherhood.

She said the trend has made her feel less alone because she can see “thousands of other women out there going through almost the exact same feelings as I am.”

“I just hope that this video reminds moms and dads out there that it’s OK to spend that money on yourself, and it’s OK to buy yourself things here and there, because your children will not be going without just because you’ve got yourself one thing,” she said.

Cecily Bauchmann, a TikTok creator with 2.2 million followers, was the first to take action after seeing Gonazalez’s video. She purchased a $100 Target gift card and left it under a box of diapers in the store for another parent to find. The trend grew from there.

Bauchmann, 36, said Gonzalez, who is her friend, inspired her to “give back.” The video brought her to tears because it reminded her of times when she experienced financial strain while providing for her family.