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Parenting is a rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns, decisions about how to parent, and of course, navigating tough conversations.
But some conversations, like the birds and the bees, or the presence of racism, or being an LGBTQ+ ally, are often made out to be much more complicated than they need to be.
TikToker @m.carter15 recently reminded all of us on TikTok that talking about being gay doesn't need to be hard—and, more importantly, accepting someone regardless of their sexual orientation doesn't need to be hard either.
While sitting on the couch with her daughter, Ellie, seemingly out of nowhere, Ellie told her mom that she was gay.
To this, the TikToker offered a four-year-old-friendly definition of being gay.
"Gay is when boys love other boys and girls love other girls. Like, they get married to them."
"I, unfortunately, am not gay. I am married to Daddy, who is a boy."
Ellie initially did not take this well, as she seemed to be disappointed that her mother was not gay. The four-year-old assumed that since her mother wasn't gay, then she wouldn't be, either.
Her mother went on to explain:
"We don't know yet. You're too little. You might be or you might not be, and no matter what, it's okay."
"We love gay people. Of course we do. But we love straight people, too."
But Ellie still needed more convincing to not be disappointed.
"You could still be gay. We don't know. You don't have to be sad."
"It's kind of like the color of your eyes or the color of your skin. It's just how you're born."
"So, we just don't know until you're older. You might be gay or you might be straight. It's just about who you love."
As a final assurance, Ellie's mom said:
"It doesn't matter who you decide to marry or be with. Alright?"
Ellie finally seemed to accept and understand what her mom said, remarking:
"It's because love is love."
The TikToker then reassured her:
"All Mommy and Daddy care about is that you're happy and safe."
In the caption of the video, the mom wrote:
"The mind of a four-year-old is a beautiful thing."
You can watch the video here:
TikTok was left overflowing with heartwarming and happy feelings from the perfectly simple explanation.
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Others couldn't stop laughing over Ellie's reactions during the conversation.
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While some subjects like love, marriage, sex, and racism are deeply nuanced subjects, their explanations can be much simpler.
Young children don't need a full seminar on the subject—they simply need an accessible and quick answer to the question they're asking in terms they can understand, and this mom gave us all an invaluable reminder that these simple answers are possible.