Mom’s Viral Reaction to Her Son Forgetting a School Project Is the Best Example of 'Gentle Parenting'

A TikTok mom posted her son’s late-night request for help—here’s why she’s being praised for her response.

Deadlines can sometimes be quite challenging and stress-inducing, as this writer can attest. However, for grade schoolers, deadlines can prove to be even more demanding, as highlighted by the experience of 7-year-old Leo Palacios.

In a TikTok video that has since gone viral, Leo’s mom, Gabriela (@gabbsgarden), humorously captioned the situation as “Bro spawned in my room to deliver stressful ASMR.” In the video, Leo quietly approaches Gabriela late at night, who was just dozing off in bed next to her daughter, admitting he had forgotten to complete a research project on Komodo dragons. It was due the next morning, and Gabriela remained surprisingly calm despite the eleventh-hour revelation.

“I forgot, and I’m so sorry,” Leo whispers to her earnestly.

Most moms would probably freak out, but Palacios did quite the opposite, conducting a great example of gentle parenting.

“It’s OK, baby,” she reassures him, calmly.

In a humorous attempt to further navigate the situation, Leo suggests, “You can take a little rest, or you can do it now,” clearly needing guidance and help.

In the comments on a subsequent TikTok, Palacios, a single mom, says she scooped up all four of her kids and rushed to a nearby Family Dollar store before it closed to grab supplies for the diorama. The video shows them completing it in about an hour with the caption "core memory."

Many praised Palacios online for her taking a more gentle approach to the situation, rather than yelling or getting upset, as most have experienced in that type of situation.

“The ‘It’s OK, baby’ got me. That boy will be able to come to you about anything. My inner child thanks you,” writes one TikTok commenter.

“Thank God he doesn’t have the parents we had,” says one user, while another sympathizes, “As an adult, I forget stuff or do stuff at the last minute ALL THE TIME. Kids’ little brains are working so hard, how can we get mad at them trying.”

Should We Let Our Kids Fail to Learn?

Other commenters weren’t as supportive of Gabby's choice. One TikTok user questioned, “Why not just let him fail?”

“It’s developmentally appropriate for this little guy to have forgotten. If the mom had a strong reaction, it may have instilled anxiety and fear of expressing when he's made a mistake,” says Liz Nissim-Matheis, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist at Psychological & Educational Consulting in New Jersey.

Dr. Nissim-Matheis further emphasizes it’s also acceptable for a parent not to immediately react and start helping. Submitting the project a day late, she suggests, could have been another appropriate response. “That is a natural consequence and will likely help him remember to complete his assignments and projects in the future,” she says.

In a follow-up TikTok Q&A, Palacios explains Leo completed the majority of the diorama himself, handling the research and design, while she assisted with a hot glue gun. Yet another video shows Leo perfectly reciting all the facts he learned for his presentation. Leo had originally expressed concerns that his mom would be mad at his forgetfulness and made a promise he would try not to wait until the last minute again to complete his homework.

“Are you sure?” Palacios asked him.

“I think so!” Leo said, seemingly trying to convince himself, with both knowing full well that the mistake could happen again.

Leo’s mistake and his mom’s calm reaction also show effective communication, says Alyson Resnick, LPC, LMHC, ACS, and founder of Tree Of Life Counseling Center in New Jersey. “Her response fosters a sense of trust and security within their relationship,” she says.

By approaching the situation with patience and kindness, Resnick observed that Palacios reinforces the idea that he can always turn to her for guidance and support without fear of judgment or harsh punishment.

“It teaches her son valuable lessons in empathy, communication, and trust, laying the foundation for a strong and healthy relationship built on mutual respect and understanding,” she explains.

We've All Been There

The reason Palacios’ video resonates with viewers is because so many of us have been in this situation.

My mother never let my sister live down her grade school class heritage project, where she was assigned to bring in food that represents a country in her lineage. My mom was informed about the project after she returned home from working a 12-hour day and stayed up until 2 a.m. making a German Chocolate Torte. My sister later admitted she didn’t even taste it when she presented it at school. (She opted for someone else’s random brownie instead.)

That incident came to mind when my 9-year-old son pulled a similar stunt with me, informing me of an assignment where he was tasked to make his own miniature Thanksgiving Parade balloon float. He waited until the last minute to do it, and luckily for him, I had the supplies we needed to whip up a Pokemon-themed concoction, which I ended up doing a majority of the work on. Unlike Palacios, I admittedly was not as calm, cool, and collected. However, it led to a discussion about deadlines and responsibility, which is still very much a work in progress.

There’s a common theme between Palacios, my mom, myself, and every other parent out there who has experienced this: we ultimately do not want to see our kids fail.

Where we DO fail as parents, is by allowing the stress and anxiety triggered by these spontaneous assignments to overwhelm us, it leads to unintentional frustration that we may inadvertently pass on to our children. That becomes a cycle of shame for the same mistake that we, as parents, have undoubtedly made ourselves in the past.

Palacios undoubtedly excelled in this parental assignment, earning her a well-deserved A+.

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