A video of a toddler showing his independence and determination has gone viral on TikTok.
Maria Uranga, 28, shared the clip of her son throwing away his own diaper – a habit since he was just a year old, she told Newsweek.
"He throws away bottles and wipes after using them, as well as the plastic from his snacks," said Uranga, from Toronto. "We are very serious about keeping our house clean and managing trash."
In the clip, which has been viewed almost 2 million times, Uranga follows her son toddling over to the trash can and disposing of his diaper. The then one-and-a-half-year-old even closes the lid to the trash can because his mom forgot to do it.
Uranga (@mariaurangaa on TikTok) describes her toddler as an "independent little man," telling Newsweek that the nappy toss made her laugh: "I also felt a lot of pride in seeing how quickly he learned from our example."
More From Newsweek Vault: Best Savings Accounts for Kids and Teens
Viewers flooded the comments section with a mixture of delight and admiration for the little boy.
One TikTok user wrote: "He really said: watch this, Mom," meanwhile another commented: "Now that's a gentleman."
In addition to its entertainment value, other TikTok users commented how much kids love to do chores and shared examples of their own children's attempts at independence.
More From Newsweek Vault: What Is a Checking Account and How Do They Work?
One user shared how her two-year-old does the same thing as Uranga's toddler and even cleans up a spillage.
"Sometimes they get too excited though. My nephew threw all the food to the ground and then to the trash because it was dirty," one user commented.
TikTok users also sought advice from Uranga, questioning how she trained her toddler to throw away his own nappy, to which she replied: "He watches every thing we do. He's seen me and his dad doing this so many times he started doing it himself."
Other parents shared similar milestones, commenting how they started teaching their children to do chores early.
"My boys do this. Just repeat the action. Consistency is key. We teach all types of chores. Wash, feed, clean table after eating," they wrote.
Despite the positive comments online, Uranga pointed out that some users said that if he has the ability to throw away his own diapers, then he shouldn't be wearing them.
"That's completely wrong – he was one-and-a-half in the video, and he started when he was one," Uranga explained to Newsweek. "Potty training comes much later [and] other people were just happy to see a little boy being conscious about trash."
About the writer
Daniella Gray is a Newsweek Family & Parenting Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on family dynamics, childhood ... Read more
