A Georgia mom’s playful approach to calming her toddler’s tantrums has gone viral on TikTok, garnering over 15 million views.
Alivia Cromartie, 26, discovered the magic of “zoomies” – a term used to describe when dogs race around frantically to burn off energy – to soothe her daughter, Icey, during a meltdown.
In a heartwarming video, Cromartie’s 18-month-old daughter is seen upset and crying, but when her mom starts running in circles around the living room, Icey’s mood shifts from tears to giggles in an instant.
The clip ends with a hug between the two, leaving viewers in tears over the touching moment.
Cromartie, who coined the term “POV: This is how you gentle parent when your toddler is on the verge of a meltdown … zoomies!” explained that Icey was simply hungry and cranky, and running around gave her enough of a distraction to lift her spirits.
“I’ve done zoomies in a grocery store. I’ll run up and down the aisles. I don’t care who sees,” Cromartie said. “Distracting my kid is the key.”
The simple hack has worked wonders for other parents as well, with many sharing their success stories in the comments. One user wrote, “Meltdown averted…and cardio. Goals.”
“I think people are surprised, but it really does work,” Cromartie said, proud of her fun parenting hack that’s helping others manage tantrums.
