TikTok trends are not usually something any parent looks forward to their teen discovering (we all remember the Tide Pods thing, right?), but every now and then, something incredibly wholesome comes out of social media. You’ve seen the TikToks of people recording themselves as they compliment strangers from their car or leaving a higher-than-usual tip just because, but a new TikTok trend is really going to pull at your heartstrings: “fambushing.”
No, this isn’t some prank where you push your family into bushes or anything — this is literally a “fambush,” a family ambush. And it’s incredibly wholesome.
In a world where so many of us are digitally linked to our kids (*especially our kids who are big enough to be out and about in the world without us), it’s easy to focus on the negative parts of location-sharing. You know, worrying about where they are past curfew or panicking that they’re stranded on the side of the road or stressing that they’re somewhere you don’t want them to be.
However, teens and families on TikTok are now using the app to highlight the sweetness of location-sharing and, well, the mooching of it all, as teens use their family’s location-sharing to infiltrate their parents’ lives.
See their mom pulling up to Starbucks? Text her and tell her you want a frapp, too. See your parents at a Mexican restaurant without you? Show up for some chips and salsa before you go out with friends. See that there’s a date night happening? Drive on over and plop down next to your parents for a family affair.
“Life360 is a total backfire on us parents 😂” a commenter on one viral fambushing TikTok video wrote.
“Nothing tastes better than food your parents paid for,” joked another.
Many parents in the comments added their own app-stalking-teen stories.
“My 13-year-old texted me ‘YOU WENT TO DAIRY QUEEN WITHOUT ME!?’ 😂😂” one mom shared.
Another could relate, commenting, “My daughter: momma, why are you at Chipotle? following text is her order. lol”
Sure, it might be costing you a little extra money in the long run, but isn’t this what all of us want? Our kids to feel comfortable enough to follow us on a date night and know we won’t kick them out? Our kids to reach out to us? Our kids to care about our lives, too?
If your kids are checking the apps to see where you are and then showing up to that location just to say hi and also maybe (probably) get a free burrito, isn’t that kind of hitting the jackpot of parenting?
According to the family locator and safety app Life360, since 2024, the app has found that teens — especially those of driving age — check their family’s location on the app at a higher rate than their parents or adults. The app was initially designed for parents and guardians to track their kids’ locations when they weren’t with them, but it has since evolved into an app for kids to know where their parents are. And, honestly, that’s just lovely.
I’m totally fine with “fambushing” becoming a trend for teens. More kids wanting to be near their parents, please — even if it’s just for cheese dip.
