Jessica Biel has discovered that her name holds more power outside her household than she could ever have imagined.
The actress and mom of two found great amusement in a new parenting hack that has gone viral on social media, sharing several videos of the trend on her Instagram Stories on Thursday.
The viral trend sees parents using the name ‘Jessica’ to help calm down their child during a tantrum.
In the clips shared by the Candy actress, several parents attempt to distract their child during times of distress by looking away and calling out ‘Jessica’ as if trying to get someone else’s attention.
The trick appears to work as once the parent calls out ‘Jessica,’ their child forgets their tantrum, stops crying, and looks around for the owner of the name.
The Sinner star appeared very impressed by the parenting hack and captioned the compilation of videos: “You rang?” alongside a crying with laughter emoji.
According to pediatrician, Dr. Mona, while the trend may not work for everyone, it can be a helpful distraction when used as a “playful or neutral interruption.”
“Not every tantrum needs us to white-knuckle our way through the whole storm while waiting patiently for our child to calm down,” she wrote.
“Healthy distraction and redirection are not the same as emotional dismissal. Young kids can get stuck in a loop. Their brains are flooded, their attention gets glued to the upset, and they often cannot shift gears on their own.
“A playful or neutral interruption can help break that loop just enough for their nervous system to soften.”
© InstagramShe continued: “Because sometimes the goal is not to talk them through every feeling while they are fully escalated. Sometimes the goal is to help them come down enough so connection can actually get through.
“What makes something feel dismissive is not simply that it shifts attention. It is when a child learns, ‘My feelings are inconvenient, so grown-ups make them go away.’ That is very different from, ‘My parent helped me out of a spiral, stayed calm, and then came back to me with connection.'”
© InstagramShe added: “We do not have to ride the storm in the exact same way every time to be emotionally responsive parents. Sometimes a whisper, a silly interruption, a playful observation, or a gentle redirect is exactly what helps a child regulate enough to feel safe again.”
Meanwhile, Jessica shares two sons, Silas, 10, and Phineas, four, with her husband, Justin Timberlake.
They raise their boys out of the spotlight and are very protective of their privacy, never showing their faces in photos on social media.
© Getty ImagesExplaining her reasoning, Jessica told InStyle about Silas: “If he was a kid actor, he’d probably work all the time. And when you’re 18 years old, you want to be a professional? Have at it.”
She added: “That’s your choice. That’s what I would like to hold on to, if possible, for him, you know?”
Read the full article here
