A North Carolina mom has shared heartwarming footage of her young son’s reaction after she surprised him at his new school.
Stephanie M. went viral after sharing a clip of her 21-month-old son Jack’s response to suddenly seeing her at his classroom window to her TikTok account @themrsbasic. The video has been watched over 1.2 million times with viewers welling up at what unfolds.
“This was our son’s second full day of class,” Stephanie told Newsweek. “I was there to pick him up and ran over to the window to see him getting ready. He caught me watching him and was at first surprised and then so happy.”
It can be difficult for parents to know how their young child feels about the prospect of starting school.
In 2023, a study, conducted by psychologists from Cambridge University in the U.K., concluded that it takes around a year, on average, for parents and guardians to attune to their child’s attitudes toward school once they have started.
By catching her son off-guard and oblivious to the fact his mom was watching, Stephanie was able to get a brief snapshot of how he was feeling.
Though it is early days, Jack appears content in his new surroundings. However, the smile that plays across his face when he realizes who is watching him through the window confirms one thing: he is very happy to see mom.
“I think he was emotional because he had a fun day at school but was ready to be picked up and to be at home with me,” Stephanie said.
Stephanie loves watching the footage from that day back, which is why she chose to share it online in the first place.
“It makes my heart so happy! Seeing his smile makes my heart feel so full because I know that he’s so happy to see me,” Stephanie said. “He’s such a happy baby and just always has such a big smile, and I wanted others to see his smile and be uplifted.”
It had the desired effect. “Look at that little face,” one user wrote. “The backpack omg [oh my God] so cute! He’s adorable,” another added.
The good news is that Jack is continuing to settle in well at his new school and continues to greet his mom with big smiles at the end of the day.
“Every day, when I pick him up, he has a huge smile and says ‘Hi!’ And every morning at drop-off, he runs to ring the doorbell, goes right into class and waves and says, ‘Bye!’ with a big smile,” Stephanie said. “He doesn’t cry at drop-off which is just amazing.”
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