Having five 5-year-olds requires a little ingenuity
Kentucky dad-of-five Jordan Driskell is catching heat from the online keyboard warriors after posting a video of himself and his kids in public. The reason? Driskell uses a leash with his five-year-old quintuplets when they’re out and about.
“Come walk a mile in my shoes,” he captioned a recent video, hilariously putting Doja Cat singing in the background, “You ain’t nothing but a dog, playa.” Driskell, who shares Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Asher, and Gavin with his wife, Briana, welcomed their kids in 2017 after a two-year infertility struggle, which ended with five new bundles of joy.
“Kids are so curious—they want to run off and explore,” Driskell told TODAY Parents of his decision to use a leash to keep his kids safe. “For our own peace of mind and sanity, we use a leash. It also allows us to leave the house and do fun stuff as a family without being stressed.”
He also said they used to use a six-person stroller, but it wasn’t feasible for them or the kids. “It was just too bulky and ridiculous to take anywhere,” he explained. “The other thing is, they want to walk when we go somewhere crowded. A leash gives them the opportunity to do that—but we’re still in control. They love it.”
Unfortunately, the unsolicited parenting advice came rolling in:
“They are humans not dogs,” one person wrote.
“Can’t you just train your children well? Explain to them why it’s dangerous to run away?” and “Don’t have that many kids if you can’t handle the pressure,” others said.
“That’s messed up. If you can’t handle that many children don’t get them in the first place,” another added.
“Are they rescues?” another asked.
Listen, until you have five kids you’re trying to wrangle, keep safe, and take out together at the same time in public, it’s not on you to judge. Even if you do have five five-year-olds, these aren’t them, and parenting kids requires knowing them, their specific needs, and what works for your individual family. It’s not anyone’s business to decide what works for another family. This man is out with five kids. FIVE. All he needs is a little applause as he walks by—that’s it.
Driskell hilariously posted another video with the caption: “Just a dad taking his pet sperm for a walk. Mind ya business ppls.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
