Does your kid whine too much? Mom reveals ‘crazy,' controversial hack

Yahoo

07-05-2025

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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
A mom has an unusual 'hack' for getting her kids to stop whining.
Chelsea Lensing, an economics professor and mother of two, has gone viral for what she calls a 'crazy' parenting technique to silence the backseat chorus of 'Mom, I'm bored!' or 'Mom, I'm hungry!'
Her solution? Turn the tables.
'If you have little kids, you have to try one of my favorite recent parenting techniques,' she said in a TikTok that's racked up thousands of views.
She captioned the April 26 post, 'My small contribution to making the next generation less entitled.'
When her 3-year-old whines about hunger, Lensing replied, 'Oh, did you bring a snack?'
Thirsty? 'Hmm, did you bring your water bottle with you?'
'I promise I'm not letting my kids go hungry,' she clarified.
'They're very hydrated, well-fed kids. This is used in very specific scenarios.'
The goal isn't starvation — it's self-awareness.
Before leaving the house, Lensing prompts her daughter with gentle nudges like, 'Do you want to bring a snack or a book for the car?'
When her 3-year-old whines about hunger, Lensing replied, 'Oh, did you bring a snack?' Getty Images/iStockphoto
If she says no and regrets it mid-ride, Lensing lets the natural consequence teach the lesson.
The result? Less whining, more accountability — and the occasional toddler epiphany.
'She got really upset because she wanted a doll too,' Lensing recalled of one trip.
'I said, 'Did you bring one?' and she said, 'No. Next time, I'm going to bring a doll, too.''
But not everyone is sold.
'I love this concept at the age of 5. Three and under does seem a little insane,' one TikTokker commented beneath Lensing's upload.
Another added, 'I can agree with this at 5 and up. But 3? That's a baby.'
Yet some educators are applauding the method.
The mom said she lets natural consequences do the teaching when her child forgets something. The payoff? Fewer complaints, more responsibility — and the rare toddler aha moment. Getty Images/iStockphoto
'As a teacher, thank you,' one user wrote. 'I can tell ASAP when a child has never been responsible for a single thing in their life.'
Lensing is not the only parent teaching her little tots a lesson.
Mom of two Deb Goddard has a hack for getting her toddler to fold their laundry.
'Get your little one involved to make it fun,' Goddard wrote in the caption of an Instagram post with 1.5 million likes.
In her clip, she shows how she combines multiple pieces of cardboard to craft a foldable board. Each flap, which folds inward, is numbered to guide the toddler as to which side is folded first, second and third.
Some parents thought this was a genius hack, while others called it child labor.
'Seriously? The kids has [sic] their entire life to be folding laundry. Give them some toys, get down on the floor and play with them instead,' critiques one commenter.
'Temu factory training,' someone else criticized.