A mom was left confused by what her toddler was doing in her highchair, and then everything became clear.
Ariana Taub-Smith (@arianareneets) was in Starbucks with her 3-year-old daughter, Graelee, when she started to rest her head in one hand and close her eyes—an expression that looks more like an exhausted adult than a preschooler.
“We just took my oldest to school [and] stopped at Starbucks to have some coffee and breakfast,” the 27-year-old told Newsweek. “I thought she was just being silly until I saw her look over.”
When Ariana turned her head, she saw the explanation: a man seated at another table with his fingers pressed against his face, possibly looking down at his phone. Her toddler, it turned out, was simply mirroring his posture.
Ariana posted the clip on TikTok, with the text overlay: “POV: me trying to figure out what my 3-year-old is doing until she looked over.”
Experts say Graelee’s behavior is a perfect example of what psychologists call social learning—the way children absorb habits, gestures and even emotions by watching the people around them.
Toddlers as young as 18 months begin imitating the actions of adults and older children, a behavior that helps them build social understanding and communication skills, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A 2016 study found that even 3-year-olds display behavioral mimicry of adult mannerisms, without any instruction to copy.
Children in the study unconsciously mirrored gestures from people they observed, showing how naturally toddlers absorb their surroundings.
Ariana’s clip has gone viral on TikTok, amassing over 648,000 views and a further 156,000 likes.
Many users said Graelee’s behavior was classic for a kid her age. “One thing about kids they will roast you,” one user laughed.
“Imagine already having a bad day then trying to cheer yourself up at Starbucks and this happens,” another added.
Others shared their own stories of toddlers copying adults in everyday settings.
“Omg this reminds me of my niece, we went to see Chicago musical, and there was a deaf interpreter on stage, I didn’t notice at first but she was copying her, I asked her what she’s doing, she said I’m dancing like the lady on stage. Girllllll you crazy,” another said.
“People seem to love it on TikTok,” Ariana said to the reaction online. “It seems to remind people how innocent and funny kids are.”
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The post Mom Confused by What Toddler Is Doing in High Chair, Then Sees Man’s Hand appeared first on Newsweek.
