If you ever wondered what your toddler is trying to communicate with you (besides, you know, kicking and screaming), you've come to the right place.
One woman on TikTok is going viral for showing parents how toddlers feel their emotions. As a result, this helps them better communicate with their children so that everyone feels heard.
Her name is Menzie and she's a mother of one who runs the popular TikTok account, menzennial.
There, she posts videos that parents of toddlers can strongly relate to, like toddler life hacks, advice for toddlers who don't like school, and more.
She has captured millions of parents' attention by recreating toddlers' big reactions to different scenarios, like being asked to clean up, having to go places, and more.
Watching an adult act like a toddler might seem strange, but there's a very good point behind it.
"I don’t want to guilt anyone or tell people what to do. I just want to provoke thought and encourage people to reconsider how they might respond to a person (of any age) experiencing an emotional event."
"I witnessed something I’ve seen countless times and always hated: an obviously injured, completely inconsolable child being told in a monotone voice, 'You’re OK, you’re OK' by an adult who barely bothered to look up from what they were doing."
But instead of confronting parents directly, she's hoping to resolve communication issues through her videos where she expresses toddler emotions.
One "big feelings" example was a parent asking a toddler to clean up.
"I know you can't possibly understand, but, in my mind, I was in the middle of something important. I was building a bridge, and now I have to cater to you and your desire to have objects arranged in a certain way," she cried.
In another video, she perfectly displayed the feelings of frustration toddlers feel when they want to do things themselves.
"I've been practicing all the time — every single day. I just wanna learn new skills so that you will be happy with me," she expressed.
They're not just little monsters who are out to throw tantrums and cause trouble. They have thoughts and feelings that they have difficulty expressing. This doesn't make them any less valid.
"You have a real gift for this! It puts things into perspective for me. It honestly helps. You could do seminars for parents!" one viewer wrote.
"These are actually so validating, my inner child is going 'THANK YOUUU,'" another added.
Many have even written in requests for videos they'd like to see. This includes jealousy of a new baby, where they want to sleep if not their own bed, and more.
Just the opposite, in fact!
"I promise you’ll never regret that you were patient or had empathy for someone (especially your child)," she said.
"Also, give yourself more credit! Parenting is difficult. Growing up is difficult. We all just want to feel like we matter, and emotional validation is a great way to accomplish that."
