The Viral ‘Jessica’ Toddler Tantrum Hack Is Not A Long-Term Parenting Fix
Parents are attempting to halt toddler tantrums by asking their children about a made-up person called “Jessica”. The distraction technique seems to work, too. In one clip shared on TikTok, a father is buckling his crying child into a car seat and says: “Jessica, come here.” “Are you going to stop crying? Because Jessica is coming. You want Jessica to come?” he asks his son, who promptly stops crying and looks around. In another clip, a crying toddler runs towards their caregiver, who calls out: “Jessica. Jessica. Where are you, Jessica?” Again, the toddler stops crying and looks around, wide-eyed. Dr Sasha Hall, a senior educational and child psychologist, certainly understands the appeal to parents of young children. Who wouldn’t want a magic ‘pause’ button to stop those mid-supermarket-shop meltdowns? But the expert warns it’s not an effective long-term solution for helping children navigate big emotions. Why calling out for ‘Jessica’ stops toddler tantrums It’s basically a form of distraction. “It can work initially because young children are highly responsive to novelty, unexpected input, and …
