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A mother has shared that she allows her toddler to draw all over the floor for one specific reason, but some parents are as convinced.
In a viral TikTok video, Arizona mother Kira Osuna showed what was leftover after allowing her two-year-old daughter drawing on the kitchen floor of their rental home. The wooden floors were covered in red, blue, and brown crayon markings. “Healing my inner child is letting my two-year-old colour on the kitchen floor while I’m cooking,” Osuna wrote over the TikTok video.
“She asked me first and I said yes. She tried to ask if she could colour on the cabinet and I said no and she listened. She knows this is only allowed right here. But she had the most fun and it can all be cleaned,” the mother added.
Osuna captioned the viral TikTok video: “Trying to give her the happiest childhood”.
Since it was posted last November, Osuna’s clip has been viewed more than 322k times. In the comments section, fellow parents were divided on Osuna’s parenting technique. While some people praised her for letting her daughter express her creativity, others believed there was a way to do so without being so messy.
“It’s not healing anything other than letting your kid boss you around,” one person commented.
“This is NOT healthy. Boundaries and respect for your environment are,” another critic wrote.
“Absolutely NOT,” a third person said, while someone else commented: “That’s always a no from me. You can colour on paper and we’ll even hang it up but she’s going to assume colouring on the floor is okay everywhere.”
In response, Osuna clarified that she allows her daughter to draw on the floor because she “would’ve been screamed at” if she did the same at her age. “Kids weren’t allowed to make messes,” the mom said. Osuna also emphasised that her daughter has “never once” tried to draw on other people’s floors “and she always asks permission at home before she does this.”
“She has boundaries. She knows she’s only allowed to do it right here and she has to clean up afterwards,” the TikToker added.
Despite some negative comments, several users defended Osuna by sharing how they too weren’t given the opportunity to be creative growing up. “Giving my kids a safe space to be themselves is the best thing I can give to my inner child,” one parent said, to which Osuna replied: “Exactly! She knows the boundaries and she feels safe to express herself.”
“You’re a great mother, keep creating core memories,” another user said.
Meanwhile, many parents suggested buying a peel-and-stick chalkboard or wallpaper, so it will peel off without damaging the wall of Osuna’s rental home. In a follow-up post, she shared footage of her clean wooden floor with no crayon markings in sight.
“For everyone panicking with my last post, floor is all clean and it took a full one minute to mop,” Osuna said in the clip. “Oh yeah, and my two-year-old is the one who cleaned it.”
In an interview with Today, the TikToker explained that letting her daughter draw on the floor allows her to experience certain freedoms that she wished she had as a child. “My dad often said no and my mom was good at saying yes, as long as no one was harmed,” Osuna told the outlet. “Seeing both viewpoints made me realise the benefits of saying yes. I’d rather foster my daughter’s creativity and instill confidence while she’s safely exploring the world at home, and with the consequence of cleaning up. It’s a teachable moment.”
“People are acting like I handed my daughter a steak knife,” she added, addressing the critics. “I think people fear what they don’t understand.”
The Independent has contacted Osuna for comment.
