Parents Shout This Name To Stop Children's Tantrums — And The Trick Works
The name can also be replaced with another, more familiar to us.
A girl searches for "Jessica". Video screenshot: krislynakuhn / TikTok
Some American parents are using a new tactic to stop their children's tantrums.
Parents shout the name "Jessica", sometimes even pretending to look for a fictional person while their child is having a fit of rage — and it works. Many such videos can be seen on TikTok.
Why does it work? Doctors say it's a technique known as attention shifting. This approach helps to pause a child's nervous system during moments of strong emotions, explains USA Today.
"When you suddenly say something unusual, especially in a calm tone, it kind of interrupts the escalation pattern happening in their brain," says pediatrician Mona Amin.
Another pediatrician, Lauren Hughes, emphasized how this method signals a change in a child's brain.
"You have this sudden shift where you have to pay attention. You kind of think, 'Oh, wait, there's someone named Jessica? Let me look around.'"
This can switch a child's brain from a state of distress to a state of curiosity.
It's unclear why the name Jessica was chosen for the trend, but doctors say any name could work, as long as it's someone the child doesn't know.
Pediatricians, however, emphasized that using an attention-shifting strategy, such as the Jessica trend, is more suitable for young children (older ones will start wondering: why are my parents calling someone?). And it's not advisable to shift attention this way every time; the underlying problem that led to the tantrum needs to be addressed.
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