Mother's 'what if I leave' act leaves child in tears, sparks criticism of parenting
A mother left her toddler in tears after asking what he would do if she never came back, drawing sharp criticism over her parenting choices.
A mother recorded a video where she asked her toddler a hypothetical question about what he would do if she never came back, which left him in tears. The internet, however, was far from pleased.
The clip, shared on Instagram, showed the mother posing a hypothetical to her young child. She asked, “Agar mummy kahin chali gayi aur wapis nahi aayi, tab kya karoge? Main kabhi nahi aaungi wapis, toh kya karoge?” (“If mom goes somewhere and doesn’t come back, what will you do? If I never return, what will you do?”).
The toddler, trying to respond, said, “Main aapko photo se pyaar karunga” (“I will love you through your photo”), before visibly becoming emotional.
As he started to tear up, the mother asked, “Toh ro kyu raha hai?” (“Then why are you crying?”), prompting the child to break down further. Through tears, he asked, “Aap mar jaoge kya? Bohot pyaar karta hu aapse, main bhagwaan se pray karuga ki meri mummy ko jaldi se wapis laa do” (“Will you die? I love you so much, I will pray to God to bring my mom back quickly”).
Only after this does the mother reassure him, saying, “Kahin nahi jaaungi tujhe chhod kar main, okay? Smile karo ab” (“I’m not going anywhere leaving you, okay? Smile now”), after which the toddler forced a smile and made a heart with his hands.
Watch the video here:
The video triggered strong criticism online, with several viewers saying the child’s distress was unnecessary and avoidable.
Several people pointed out that the toddler’s innocent response quickly turned into visible fear and confusion, with some saying it was painful to watch him cry over a scenario he could not fully understand.
Others stressed that children at such a young age are highly impressionable, and exposing them to thoughts of losing a parent, even hypothetically, could be emotionally overwhelming.
There were users who also questioned the intent behind filming and sharing such a moment, arguing that creating content should not come at the cost of a child’s emotional comfort.
Some users emphasised how traumatic the idea of losing a parent could be, adding that such conversations should be handled with extreme care, not introduced casually for social media engagement.
The clip led to conversations around parenting in the age of social media, particularly where emotional boundaries should be drawn when involving children in content. While the video ended on a reassuring note, for several viewers, the distress leading up to it overshadowed everything else.
A mother recorded a video where she asked her toddler a hypothetical question about what he would do if she never came back, which left him in tears. The internet, however, was far from pleased.
The clip, shared on Instagram, showed the mother posing a hypothetical to her young child. She asked, “Agar mummy kahin chali gayi aur wapis nahi aayi, tab kya karoge? Main kabhi nahi aaungi wapis, toh kya karoge?” (“If mom goes somewhere and doesn’t come back, what will you do? If I never return, what will you do?”).
The toddler, trying to respond, said, “Main aapko photo se pyaar karunga” (“I will love you through your photo”), before visibly becoming emotional.
As he started to tear up, the mother asked, “Toh ro kyu raha hai?” (“Then why are you crying?”), prompting the child to break down further. Through tears, he asked, “Aap mar jaoge kya? Bohot pyaar karta hu aapse, main bhagwaan se pray karuga ki meri mummy ko jaldi se wapis laa do” (“Will you die? I love you so much, I will pray to God to bring my mom back quickly”).
Only after this does the mother reassure him, saying, “Kahin nahi jaaungi tujhe chhod kar main, okay? Smile karo ab” (“I’m not going anywhere leaving you, okay? Smile now”), after which the toddler forced a smile and made a heart with his hands.
Watch the video here:
The video triggered strong criticism online, with several viewers saying the child’s distress was unnecessary and avoidable.
Several people pointed out that the toddler’s innocent response quickly turned into visible fear and confusion, with some saying it was painful to watch him cry over a scenario he could not fully understand.
Others stressed that children at such a young age are highly impressionable, and exposing them to thoughts of losing a parent, even hypothetically, could be emotionally overwhelming.
There were users who also questioned the intent behind filming and sharing such a moment, arguing that creating content should not come at the cost of a child’s emotional comfort.
Some users emphasised how traumatic the idea of losing a parent could be, adding that such conversations should be handled with extreme care, not introduced casually for social media engagement.
The clip led to conversations around parenting in the age of social media, particularly where emotional boundaries should be drawn when involving children in content. While the video ended on a reassuring note, for several viewers, the distress leading up to it overshadowed everything else.
