'Total Shock' as Mom Finds What 5-Year-Old Did When Left Alone for Minutes

A viral video has proved exactly why you need eyes at the back of your head when looking after children.

Maria Drae has shared the moment she found her 5-year-old daughter's hair completely covered in a yellow substance. She told Newsweek: "She's usually on the iPad in my room or watching number blocks on TV, but this time, she decided to get my hair gel and paste the entire tub on her hair."

Racking up more than 2.3 million views on TikTok, the clip shows Drae telling off Destiny-Rae while she stands with a blank facial expression in the bathroom. However, it wasn't long until Drae managed to see the funny side, especially when her daughter responded to a threat to tell her grandma.

Gel
Two screenshots showing mischievous Destiny's hair covered in gel. The viral video has already received more than 2.3 million views. Maria Drae/TikTok/@mamadestinyrae

"I'm going to call grandma now and tell her what you've done," the mom says in the clip, but Destiny replies: "I won't be in trouble with grandma".

Indeed, the pre-schooler was right. Drae told Newsweek: "My mom blamed me and said why did I leave her alone?"

Drae added that she left her daughter for 10 minutes while cooking and usually, this isn't a problem as she will sit still and watch TV.

Fortunately, Destiny didn't get any of the product in her eyes nor did she ingest it. However, this isn't always the case for some children who manage to get their hands on it.

Missouri Poison Center says that hair gel is generally low in toxicity, composed mostly of water and polymers. If ingested in small amounts, it may cause minor stomach upset, and if it gets into the eyes, it can lead to some irritation.

Alcohol in some gels might raise toxicity levels slightly, but serious issues are unlikely from small, accidental ingestions.

The website of the emergency care service in Richmond Heights, Missouri, states: "Most children will react to the taste, and may cough or gag. Take the product away from the child and wipe their mouth out with a soft wet cloth. You may give them some water to drink to get the taste out of their mouth. Do not try to induce vomiting."

If hair gel does go somewhere it shouldn't, one should follow these instructions:

  1. Wipe or rinse out the mouth.
  2. Give a serving size of water to drink.
  3. Rinse any exposed skin with lukewarm water.

TikTok Reacts

At the time of writing, the video has received over 165,500 likes and almost 6,500 comments.

"She knows she's Grandma's girl," wrote one user.

Another posted: "I'm more impressed how clean her sweater is."

"It's the innocent stare for me," a third commenter added.

Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human ... Read more

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