A mom-of-four works three jobs while her husband stays home, leaving the internet buzzing with questions about their unconventional dynamic.

Lauren (@budgetbylauren), a mom-of-four, has gone viral for sharing her unconventional family dynamic, sparking both praise and criticism online. The video, in which Lauren made pancakes while discussing her situation, has garnered 114,100 likes and 1.3 million views.

“Most people hate our family dynamic. They accuse me of hating my kids and don’t think my husband is manly enough. Most encourage him to ‘escape,’ and we get both accusations of me financially abusing him or him being lazy and taking advantage of me,” Lauren told Newsweek.

Lauren’s setup is far from traditional. All her jobs are remote and online, but the journey to their current arrangement began a decade ago when the couple started a family. At the time, Lauren worked as a full-time teacher while her partner worked at Target.

Determined not to send their children to daycare but also unwilling to become a stay-at-home mom, Lauren and her husband decided that he would take on the role of primary caregiver while she continued teaching.

The determined mom earned her master’s degree just six days after her second child was born, meaning she could teach evening classes at a community college.

She began teaching to do so, sometimes being away from her children for 12 hours at a time, leading her to suffer with mom-guilt.

Medical issues later forced her to cut back on work, which caused the family to accumulate significant debt. By January 2020, their children had started school, and her husband found a full-time job to bring in a second income.

However, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 threw their lives into turmoil. With both parents working from home and the children attending school remotely, tensions ran high.

“It was a really dark time for our family. We did not get along. We were not meant to be cooped up like that. It was hard for both of us to get our jobs done. He ended up ending that job at the end of that year,” Lauren said in the video.

In the aftermath, Lauren left her teaching position and transitioned to remote online work. She also took up baking as a hobby and began selling macarons at local farmers’ markets. While successful, her side business fueled feelings of mom-guilt, leading her to close it.

Determined to manage their finances better, Lauren found another online teaching role and began teaching college classes remotely. To tackle their debt, she started a side hustle through Outschool, an online platform where educators teach customized classes for children.

“I started sharing my budgeting routine online after seeing others share their payday routines. I thought it would be a great way to stick to my budget habit, and I think transparency around finances helps everybody. I didn’t start learning about personal finance until my 30s,” Lauren explained.

Currently, Lauren works 60-80 hours per week while her husband manages the household.

“We are married with four kids under 10. Right now, I work 60-80 hours per week, and my husband stays home. He is the primary caregiver for the two kids at home, he cooks, and he cleans.

“When I’m not working, we parent together, and I help make meals because we both love to cook and try new foods. Saturday is family day where we all go out together and do things,” Lauren told Newsweek.

Lauren added that once their children return to school, her husband plans to reenter the workforce.

The video sparked lively debate in the comments, with many viewers applauding the family’s teamwork and resourcefulness.

“Partnership at its finest. It’s obvious you two communicate needs to one another. Continue breaking social norms,” one user commented.

“Being a full-time dad is a job!!!” another said.

“I don’t get why people are okay with stay-at-home moms but not dads,” one viewer remarked, addressing the double standard.

“While I don’t agree with it for my life and situation, if it works for you guys, amen! That’s all that matters!” another added.

Lauren concluded by emphasizing that their family dynamic works for them, even if it isn’t conventional.

“I’m just sharing a life that works for us. Our kids are so lucky to have two parents at home who love each other. I think it’s becoming more common to see dads step up and raise the kids and women who provide for their families. Most people are upset by how much I work, and it’s a lot, but I’ve always been a busy person,” she said.