Toddler calls her dad ‘babe’ — then her mom had a realization about traditional labels

Kids have a funny way of picking up everything they hear, even the words we don’t expect them to repeat. From the way we talk to strangers to how we call out to loved ones, little ones are always listening and learning. And sometimes, that leads to some pretty adorable moments. That’s exactly what happened to a mom from South Carolina. Analiese Maldonado(thisbeachylife_) was playing with her 14-month-old son, Anthony, when she called out to her husband, Roberto, using a nickname she’s always used, 'Babe!'

To her surprise, a few minutes later, Anthony started calling out too, “Babe? Babe!” while looking for his dad. She caught the sweet moment on video and shared it on TikTok, where it quickly went viral. The clip shows Anthony wandering around the house, confidently repeating the word just like his mom. “I thought it was so funny and cute,” she told Newsweek. “Before I had kids, I always thought it was a little strange when couples called each other ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’ around their kids. But now I get it!”

Since she posted the clip on TikTok three days ago, it has garnered over 22 million views and more than 3.3 million likes. Over 15,000 users commented, sharing similar stories of how their kids have copied a name they have heard from someone else in the family. And turns out, she’s not alone. Other parents chimed in with similar stories. One person, @Thisissterling, shared that their child calls them, 'Hey beautiful' because that's what the dad would call the mom. "And when I would say, “where’s dad?” He would yell, “Karl, Karl, where are you, Karl!” Another mom, who had her daughter through IVF, said she had to make sure everyone called her “Mummy” because her daughter started calling her by her first name, Heidi.

Another father added that his child calls him "Steve." @Steven Perez said, "My 15-month-old calls me 'Steve." Another user, @Carissa Rae, humorously added, "My friend's kid called her 'eBay' and we couldn’t figure it out until the dad said 'hey babe' and she repeated 'eBay'". Analiese says she was shocked at how many people watched and loved the video. “If it made even a few people smile, that’s great,” she said. “But the fact that millions of people found it funny or sweet? That makes me really happy.”

Kids are the ultimate imitators, often picking up more than we expect from pet names to tone of voice. On the same lines as this South Carolina toddler who is seen calling her dad “Babe” just like her mom, another little girl is winning hearts with her own cheeky moment. In a story covered by The Daily Net, the toddler is seen in the backseat of a car, calling out “Daddy” in a sweet, high-pitched voice. When her dad doesn’t respond, she boldly switches to “Josh” and then “Joshy,” copying exactly how her mom addresses him. The playful twist left viewers in splits and showed just how closely kids observe and mimic the adults around them, sometimes with hilariously spot-on results.

You can follow @thisbeachylife_ on TikTok for more adorable videos like this.