Many people may be familiar with putting off a DIY project. However, one mom recently dealt with the repercussions of not fixing her son’s bedroom door—before it was too late.
In a viral video, Mayah Hash (@mayahhash) learned the hard way as she and her son Paxton became trapped in his bedroom for an hour and a half.
The 24-year-old told Newsweek: “I genuinely did fear we would not be able to get out!”
The mom, based in Portland, Oregon, shared the stressful ordeal on TikTok and racked up 15.6 million views.
TikTok/@mayahhash
Hash, a conference and event manager, said that she went into her son’s bedroom to get his laundry. But then Paxton closed the door behind them. She said the door handle was in the living room as he threw it at her earlier in the day.
While she seems to be in good spirits in the video, Hash grew concerned as time passed.
“I completely freaked out,” she told Newsweek: “So many things were running through my mind.
“I was thinking, ‘Why didn’t I fix the door handle when he had initially broken it off? Do I need to call for help? What if I have to break the door down?’
“There was a point in time that I was completely sobbing, thinking I was really going to have to either call the fire department. Or sleep in my son’s room and wait for maintenance to help in the morning!”
Hash said that she isn’t from the area and hasn’t got any family nor many friends to call.
She said: “Even if someone had been able to come over and help, my front door was locked as well! So they would not have been much help.”
Racking up 2.6 million likes since March 21, the footage shows Hash attempting to twist the broken door knob in a desperate attempt to get out.
She told Newsweek: “Eventually, I snapped a plastic clothes hanger and shoved it in the mechanism of the door handle.”
The internet can’t help but laugh at Hash’s misfortune and many have commented on Paxton’s commentary. He can be heard saying, “just twist it” and “come on.”
“He’s very encouraging in the back ground though,” said one comment with 56,800 likes.
“The way I’d break down the door [because] I’m claustrophobic,” said another user.
A third commenter said: “I still want to become a mom at some point so… have a [screwdriver] hidden in every room in case this happens, NOTED.”
Speaking from experience, another mom said: “My daughter did this and I unscrewed the hinges with a barbie shoe coz I’m a baddie.”
If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on Newsweek’s “What Should I Do? section.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.