‘Emotionally aware’ toddler knows just the thing to ask when overwhelmed: ‘More touching me...’

Children often experience big emotions that they don’t fully understand at their age. They might feel sad, angry, or overwhelmed without even knowing why at times. But these emotional outbursts are a normal part of growing up, as kids learn how to process, express, and manage their moods. One little girl's way of managing her feelings is capturing everyone's attention on TikTok as she shows remarkable 'emotional awareness'. The video was shared by the little girl's mother, Sierra, who goes by the username @sierraxeastonxkids.

The video captures Sierra hugging her daughter and talking to her about how she was feeling. The girl says, “I’m overwhelmed. My crying is stuck in my throat.” In response, her mom reassured, “It’s okay to feel that way,” and engulfed her daughter in a deep squeeze. Subsequently, the child shared that she was feeling overstimulated. Sierra then asks her daughter whether she wants her to stop touching or if she prefers more, and she chooses the second option: "More touching me." So, the mother tightly hugs her more and gently sways back and forth, counting each movement. At the end of the video, Sierra's other child joins them, too.

Both the mother's thoughtful reaction as well as the child's emotional awareness at such a young age earned praise from netizens. A TikTok user, @style_siren_aus, commented, “Gosh, I wish I could articulate like she can. You guys are amazing together. It’s taken me 42 years to work out that I am overstimulated 90% of the time, what overstimulates me, and that all of the weird, embarrassing behaviors I’ve carried with me were stimming and trying to self-regulate.” Another person, @sabrinnnna777, shared, “As a constantly overwhelmed daughter, hold her face with both of your hands. There's something so relaxing about my mom holding my face like that, her warmth and smell.”

Similarly, @the_pundertaker chimed, “I'm 27 and only just learned it's okay to tell my partner I'm overwhelmed, want to cry, and might need a squeeze. I love that your babies learn how to understand their bodies.” @hey_its_hal agreed, “The way she’s so little and able to tell you she’s overwhelmed over stimulated shows how incredible of a parent you are. Momma, you’re healing the next generation with this.” @jxdefrxnklin echoed, “Crying because I needed this as a child. Thank you for loving her the way every child deserves to be loved.”

It is very important for parents to understand what’s causing their child’s reaction and why they’re experiencing such strong emotions. For instance, when a baby girl on the internet once started getting frustrated and aggressive, her parents were shocked to find out that it was linked to her limited screen time. Realizing something needed to change, they came up with a heartwarming solution that not only eased her emotions but also brought the whole family closer. The parents began spending more time outdoors with their child and encouraged her to read books and enjoy fun activities.