Who is Jessica? Why parents are yelling this name mid-toddler tantrum

If you’ve been on TikTok lately and suddenly heard parents yell out “JESSICA!” in front of their kids… there’s a reason for it.

A new parenting trick has gone viral, mainly because it’s so simple yet oddly effective.

Parents are shouting the name “Jessica” mid-toddler tantrum to snap their kids out of it - and it seems to actually work.

Instead of begging and pleading with the terrible twos, calling out to this made-up woman in an attention-grabbing way distracts the children from whatever set them off in the first place.

Multiple videos proving just how effective this trick can be have gone viral, with one compilation racking up over five million views and thousands of comments.

“I love how the original video said ‘yell a random name,’ and everyone has stuck with Jessica,” one person wrote.

While it might work flawlessly for some parents, a few real-life Jessicas have pointed out they need to use another name…

But this trick isn’t just a fluke - there’s real psychology behind it.

Child psychologist Dr Willough Jenkins explains that it’s essentially a tantrum-interrupt method.

“A toddler in a meltdown has a brain completely locked in an emotional loop, and an unexpected neutral stimulus can break that cycle and create a window for redirection,” she says.

However, Dr Willough warns it’s only a short-term trick.

“Once Jessica is familiar, the novelty is gone and so is the effect. It’s one tool for one moment, not a parenting strategy.”

She adds there are many ways to achieve the same effect.

“There are so many versions of this on TikTok. The dad who suddenly starts singing and acting silly, watching his toddler dissolve into giggles, is doing the exact same thing – just using humour and connection as the interrupt.”

And while sometimes you need a quick tantrum-interrupt, Dr. Willough says, “Your toddler is supposed to have big feelings; they do not yet have the brain wiring to manage them. Your job is not to shut those feelings down - it’s to help them move through safely.”

She suggests creating a distraction in a warm, gentle way, like going outside and touching bark or grass.

Honestly, that seems like a much better alternative than having your child wonder who Jessica actually is for the next ten years…