What to Know
When you’re the parent of a small child, you’ll sometimes try just about anything to get them to stop crying or whining, even if it’s a bit unorthodox. If you’ve been spending any time scrolling through social media lately and you have the right algorithm, you’ve likely spotted a viral video or two showing parents saying the name “Jessica” to kids who are having a difficult moment. Confused yet? Even more surprising is that when parents try this strange phenomenon to help with their kids’ meltdowns, most of them stop crying and even look around, confused, for the elusive figure their parents called out to.
Have you tried summoning Jessica yet? If you haven’t, maybe you should and report back!
If you’ve ever been at your wits’ end when it comes to experiencing multiple tantrums with your toddler, there’s a new technique that you have to try.
Tiffiani Ortega from Florida shared a TikTok video of her husband strapping their 2-year-old son into his car seat during a moment of tears. Sure enough, when he tried the “Jessica” method, the tears immediately stopped. It’s miraculous!
Tiffani’s husband can be seen in the video stifling his laughter as he tries to make it through, saying, “Jessica, come here. Come here, Jessica. He’s crying.” This immediately captures little Luca’s attention as he can be seen trying to look outside the car door for Jessica. It stopped the tears and gave him something else to focus on.
The Florida mom told TODAY.com that this “strategy” came from a moment of “pure frustration” as they were leaving the park, since her son doesn’t typically do well with that transition.
Another mom tried the “Jessica” method and was pleasantly surprised.
According to TODAY.com, another mom of three from California, Evanthia Davis, tried the “Jessica” trick on her youngest daughter, Delilah, and was surprised by how well it worked.
In her TikTok video, she can be seen sitting on the porch at her mother’s house. When she heard her daughter crying, Evanthia began calling out to Jessica repeatedly. You can see that after a couple of times, Delilah stops crying and begins to curiously look around for Jessica. It worked again!
One person in the comment section on TikTok marveled at how this trick allowed Delilah to “[forget] all about her little tantrum.”
Since her success, Evanthia has tried a few other names when her daughter has been in the middle of a tantrum. She discovered that she could get similar results. So, it warrants considering that the element of surprise is likely the key to this technique rather than the name Jessica.
An expert explains why this technique works so well on some kids.
Dr. Deborah Gilboa spoke to TODAY.com and explained that it is “that element of surprise” that is “exactly what makes the tactic effective.”
For babies, the act of redirection, or shifting their attention to something new, is often enough because “they lack the memory and cognitive development to stay fixated on what upset them,” Dr. Gilboa explained. But it’s actually different for toddlers.
Dr. Gilboa added that since toddlers tend to have greater object permanence and perseverance, “an unexpected break in routine, like suddenly calling out an unfamiliar name,” can prompt their attention to shift and help them figure out what’s going on rather than cry.
She warns that the “Jessica” trick may only work for so long because even young children will likely catch on to the pattern after a few tries.
Hey — if you’re determined to make it work, perhaps you could try different names every time and see how far they get you!
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