Yahoo Lifestyle This video shows how gentle parenting can heal your inner child
Parents all know that learning from conflict, tantrums and tough situations is key for kids. But many are also realizing another powerful truth: Working through difficult moments with their kids doesn’t just teach their children, it can also be healing (or triggering) for mom or dad’s inner children.
A TikTok video showing a mom calmly guiding her toddler through big emotions has exploded online, racking up 4.7 million views in a single day. The video, posted by @ustheremingtons, has struck a chord with parents everywhere by showcasing gentle parenting in action—and how it can heal both children and the parents raising them.
The video that’s got everyone talking
The clip features a mother guiding her young daughter after her daughter got hurt by playing underneath her brother while he climbed up a rock wall at their house. Her daughter was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she got hurt. Cue dysregulation. But Tiffany, the mom, chose to center herself first before addressing her daughter, and the impact is clear in the video.
“I’m a dysregulated adult because I wasn’t ever met like THIS when I was a kid,” she writes in the video. But in truth, Tiffany uses this moment to model self-regulation for her kid—setting a powerful example.
When her child was upset, she didn’t rush to reprimand or dismiss her feelings. Instead, she co-regulates with her, showing her how to breathe, process, and understand her emotions. “Smell the flowers, blow out the candles,” she gently encourages—an easy, child-friendly way to teach deep breathing and self-soothing.
Rather than chastising her daughter for doing something unsafe or using frustration as a response, mom remains steady, reinforcing calm communication and safety. “You are not in trouble,” she reassures, before explaining a safer way to play next time. This powerful clip isn’t just parenting—it’s re-parenting. It’s giving a child what so many of us parents never received: calm, respect, and emotional tools.
Related: Dad’s gentle parenting moment caught on camera is healing hearts all over the internet
Healing for moms, too
One of the most powerful aspects of this video is the conversation it has sparked about generational healing. The caption says it all: “One of the greatest opportunities in parenting is the time and space to reparent ourselves.” For many moms, parenting gently is not just about shaping the next generation—it’s about rewriting their own stories, giving their children the support and understanding they once longed for.
Many viewers chimed in with their own reflections:
@cath :•)
�� : “So proud of this new generation of parents :(( you guys are doing whatever it takes to break generational trauma which is amazing.”
@Morgan Ashleigh:
“This is how you break the cycle ”
�� �� @shona: “I’m tearing up, this was so healing for me. Everything you described was very much how I grew up.”
Honestly? Same. And that’s why the video has ignited a conversation with so many parents about how breaking cycles of harsh parenting, emotional neglect, or dismissive responses can lead to more emotionally secure children—and more fulfilled parents.
The science of co-regulation
The mother in the video beautifully demonstrates co-regulation, a key part of gentle parenting. Co-regulation is when a parent helps a child manage their emotions by modeling calm, patience, and understanding—essentially lending them their nervous system until they develop their own self-regulation skills.
Psychologists have long supported this approach. Studies show that when parents react with empathy and patience rather than anger or punishment, children develop better emotional intelligence, improved self-regulation, and stronger problem-solving skills. This approach helps children feel safe expressing their emotions, rather than suppressing them.
The power of modeling: Raising emotionally resilient kids
One of the most crucial aspects of co-regulation in parenting is modeling. Children don’t just learn from what we tell them—they absorb how we respond to stress, disappointment, and conflict. When parents demonstrate emotional regulation, their children are more likely to develop these skills themselves.
Research from the Co-Regulation From Birth Through Young Adulthood: A Practice Brief, published by the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), shows that when caregivers provide warm, responsive support and structure, children develop stronger self-regulation skills, better problem-solving abilities, and improved emotional resilience.
Studies show that children who experience consistent co-regulation from caregivers grow up with better coping strategies, stronger relationships, and a deeper sense of emotional security. They learn that emotions are not something to be feared or suppressed but rather understood and managed in healthy ways.
Co-regulation is not about avoiding boundaries or discipline—it’s about teaching emotional skills through consistent, structured guidance. By modeling calm responses to challenges and offering a supportive environment, caregivers help children develop the ability to regulate their own emotions over time.
Inner child work: Rewriting the parenting narrative
Beyond shaping emotionally secure children, gentle parenting also plays a role in healing parents themselves. Many moms and dads practicing gentle parenting today grew up in homes where emotional expression was met with punishment or dismissal. The process of parenting differently is, in many ways, an act of reparenting themselves.
The concept of inner child work—the psychological process of nurturing and healing our childhood wounds—aligns closely with what’s happening in this viral video. Experts suggest that acknowledging and meeting our own childhood needs through parenting can be profoundly healing.
Gentle parenting: More than a trend
Gentle parenting is often misunderstood as permissive or passive parenting, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This style of parenting is about teaching, guiding, and responding with respect and connection rather than control or punishment.
In the video, the mother does not let go of boundaries. She still teaches her daughter an important lesson about safety and play. But she does so with patience, explaining why certain actions can be dangerous rather than resorting to scolding or punishment. Gentle parenting doesn’t mean no discipline—it means discipline that is thoughtful, intentional, and rooted in respect.
Related: This dad’s version of ‘gentle parenting’ is all about making his kids cringe—and it’s hilarious
Raising a generation of emotionally secure kids
Videos like this highlight a broader shift happening in parenting culture. More and more parents are choosing to break away from outdated, authoritarian approaches and instead focus on communication, connection, and emotional resilience.
Parenting with patience and understanding doesn’t just help kids—it shapes a healthier society. Children who grow up with emotional safety are more likely to develop strong self-esteem, better relationships, and improved coping mechanisms for stress and conflict.
This viral video is a powerful reminder that how we respond to our children shapes their emotional world—and our own. It’s a testament to the fact that every moment of patience and understanding we extend to our kids is a moment of healing for ourselves, too.
So, next time your child is struggling with big emotions, take a breath, channel the calm you wish you had received, and know that in that moment, you’re not just shaping your child’s future—you’re healing your past.
Sources:
How To Heal Your Inner Child. 2024. Cleveland Clinic. How To Heal Your Inner Child.
Co-Regulation From Birth Through Young Adulthood. Center for Child and Family Policy. Co-Regulation From Birth Through Young Adulthood: A Practice Brief.
The Role of the Family Context in the Development of Emotion Regulation. National Library of Medicine. The Role of the Family Context in the Development of Emotion Regulation.
