Being a parent means wearing many hats—that of a personal chef, live entertainer, chauffeur, therapist…and it looks like we can even add interpreter to that list.
In an all-too-relatable video posted to her TikTok, a mom named Amberlie Allen shared a series of recent texts she received from her husband, where she was asked to decode the head scratching requests their toddler was making.
Can’t really blame dad for being stumped on some of these. For example, the first request: “nanna toe,” which apparently means “banana toast.”
But it’s not even banana toast really, as Allen texted that it’s actually “Ritz crackers with peanut butter and banana slices on top.” There’s even an additional caveat to this—their kiddo will eat only the banana slices of said Ritz cracker, then need those small crackers to be replenished by more banana slices. Talk about a specific order.
Sounds like a complicated snacktimePhoto credit: Canva
But wait, there’s more. This one is even more puzzling. When dad asked what their son would like to watch, he replied “1 2 3 4.” Huh?!
Allen replied that he probably wanted to watch Toy Story, and just couldn’t “decide which one.” Honestly that’s some next level translation.
Mom is translating with style.
Lastly, Allen’s husband wrote, “‘I think he’s where horn go.’ What does that mean?”
Using her sleuthing skills, Allen asked if they were watching “monster trucks.” When she got the confirmation, she explained that he must be wanting the monster truck with a special horn, which was located in her bedside table. Moms are truly magical.
Down in the comments, so many shared their own similar experiences, particularly when it comes to movies and other bits of pop culture.
“The other day I had to decipher that ‘Judy and the Cops’ meant Zootopia.”
“My husband called me one morning and screamed ‘She wants zombie Taylor Swift? What does that even mean?’ I told him she meant the ‘Look what You Made Me Do’ music video.”
“I once nannied for a girl that wanted to watch ‘bleh bleh bleh’…it was Hotel Transylvania.”
Drac does say, “Bleh bleh bleh.”
“Mine asks for ‘bud light’ aka Toy Story (Buzz Lightyear)”
Interestingly enough, the science suggests that parents are hardwired to understand what their toddler is communicating, even if it makes no logical sense. This intuition develops through consistent interaction and observation, which is why Allen, and many moms in general, might be a bit more attuned. After all, they’ve been interpreting their child since its first cry.
That’s not to say dads and secondary caregivers can’t become fluent in baby speak—like most things, it just takes practice. And you know that this dad is never, ever going to forget how to make the perfect “nanna toe” after learning what it means. So, let’s hear it both for the parents who decode, and the parents doing their best to figure out what all the gibberish means.