Daughter asked mom why she had ‘lines’ on her forehead—her brilliant response had the little girl wanting her own lines
Children learn a great deal from their parents and adults, to the extent that it can also shape their perspectives on stereotypes and other concepts. How we explain and share a mindset on something can also play a role in how others understand. A mom named Amanda McKay (@mandbodyspirit) revealed that she had the opportunity to shape her daughter’s perspective when she asked her about the “lines” on her forehead, Scary Mommy shared. Sharing a video on TikTok, McKay shared how she responded to her question and the result was inspiring and wonderful. Her comment moved the little girl and she was stoked to have her own lines.
The little girl asked her mother about the wrinkles on her forehead that come with aging and years. However, instead of just explaining one statement and leaving her child to figure out how to perceive it, she shared her own powerful perception about it. McKay first explained the scientific reasoning of how elasticity reduces as we age, causing the skin to retain the positions or folds it creates over time. She then shared a valuable insight. “It reflects the movements that we’ve done over time that have created those lines,” the mom began. Diving deeper, she mentioned how the lines appear when she makes a happy or surprised face.
“These lines for me show all the times that I got excited for myself and the people around me that I love,” McKay remarked. She went on to make a happy and excited expression to show her daughter how the lines formed on her forehead. She added that the little crinkles around the eyes and mouth also come from smiling over time. “I do that so many times that my skin remembers that,” McKay said. The little girl was thrilled to hear the story behind what seemed like mundane, casual additions to her mom’s looks. “She thought it was the coolest thing ever and wanted to have some,” the mom remarked.
McKay was delighted to have introduced such a controversial topic like aging in such a magical way that her daughter wanted her own lines. In her caption, the mom successfully noted how her approach would make a difference. “I can’t shield her from it forever but I can be her first narrative,” she wrote. To think that the little girl will grow up making memories and smiles of her own, knowing they will show up as “lines” just the way they did for her mom, is truly admirable. For her, it’s not just aging, it's now living and proof that you’ve lived. Many people were touched by the perspective the mom shared. It was one they needed to hear.
@alex_luuwhoo wrote, “My favorite part about toddlerhood is being able to explain these things to our children for the first time and in a way that opens up their hearts to the world.” @madmakher added, “The words we use become their inner voice.” @coo.coo.cool remarked, “This is so important.” @jenecka85 said, “This is such a beautiful reframe. I can’t wait for this conversation.”
@mandbodyspirit I can’t shield her from it forever, but I can be her first narrative 🫶🏻
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You can follow Amanda McKay (@mandbodyspirit) on TikTok for more content on parenting and lifestyle.