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In the video posted on TikTok, Hannah’s son flinched when his father approached him in a way that alarmed many who watched it.
Nurse Hannah defends family amid viral backlash. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Popular parenting TikTok influencer Nurse Hannah has stirred a hornet’s nest by posting a video of her toddler flinching when his father approached him in a grocery store. The video, since deleted, was widely shared, showing the child raising his hands in a defensive position and looking startled. It generated intense reactions from viewers about what such behaviour could mean.
In the video posted on TikTok, Hannah’s son flinched when his father approached him in a way that alarmed many who watched it. Several commenters sounded the alarm, questioning why a toddler would do such a thing in a situation like that. Comments like “Why is a toddler flinching at anything?” and observations that the child’s body language seemed “purely defensive,” suggesting he might need to be “taken somewhere safe,” were among them.
It started a trend in which the parents began experimenting, using similar movements for their children’s reactions. This time, different responses appeared, such as laughter and sometimes no fear.
But not allowing public backlash and speculation around that reaction to fester and swirl, Nurse Hannah produced a follow-up clip for which she defended her husband while putting the original captured clip in context. She did specify that the moment happened humorously and that the same husband is “the most loving and nurturing father”. The clip led to conversations about bad responses or reactions by kids from either parent on TikTok.
TikTok users who are on Autism Spectrum Disorder were cited by WGTC stating that the son’s reaction is typical for individuals with sensory problems or persons who have a condition of overlapping sensitivity, while others people said that the son’s reaction could be the only natural response that the boy could give to his environment.
This could be due to several reasons that range from normal reflexes to serious underlying health issues. The startle reflex, or Moro reflex, is the natural reflex in infants and toddlers. A child starts this when they are suddenly startled by noise, movements, or changes in the environment.
Some toddlers are far too sensitive to sensory stimuli and jerk at sudden movements and loud noises. When a child has passed through some terrifying experience or is afraid something may occur, flinching could be a protective-like reflexive behaviour.
