This toddler’s 5:45 a.m. wake-up call is straight out of a horror movie
If there’s one thing toddlers are known for, it’s their unpredictability. But even seasoned parents aren’t always ready for what awaits them in the wee hours of the morning.
Ash, a mom of two, shared a now-viral TikTok (@atmrw) that has parents laughing, cringing, and questioning their own late-night parenting nightmares. Her 2-year-old son, Reuben, woke her up at 5:45 a.m.—and it wasn’t with the usual cries or requests for milk. No, Reuben had something far more dramatic in mind.
As Ash groggily opened her eyes, she found Reuben rocking back and forth on a toy horse he had somehow dragged into her bedroom. In the dim morning light, his silhouette and wide grin made for a hilariously eerie sight. The moment, equal parts hilarious and unexpectedly spooky, quickly captivated TikTok.
When toddlers go rogue
Ash revealed in the now-viral TikTok clip: “POV: It’s 0645, your son’s just woken you up by dragging his rocking horse into your room and riding it like a psychopath.” (She later clarified to Newsweek that the wake-up call happened even earlier—at 5:45 a.m.—thanks to a mishap with the safety gate.)
“We normally have a stair gate on his room,” Ash explained, “but my mom was staying with us over Christmas and let him out. We weren’t expecting it at all.”
In the video, Reuben’s grandma may have accidentally set the stage for this now-infamous early morning performance. And honestly? Reuben certainly knows how to make an entrance.
Related: 8 expert tips for managing the toddler sleep regression
TikTok reacts: from horror movie vibes to relatable parenting nightmares
The video has racked up over 537,000 views and counting, with comments flooding in about how eerily cinematic the scene felt.
@nichole2409: I would simpy *die*
@daniellemolyneux: This would scare the life out of me lol
But for many parents, it hit a little too close to home. Stories of creepy kid wake-ups came pouring in:
“I woke up to my 3-year-old in a full Spidermand costume” @moonbitten0
“Mine just stares at me in the dark until I wake up—it’s horrifying” @amybradley990
Ash admitted she didn’t expect the video to blow up the way it did but said she and her partner have been cracking up at the responses. “We both woke up so confused but thought it was hilarious once we realized what was happening. I grabbed my phone and uploaded the video right away—hence the wrong time on the overlay!”
Parenting: equal parts hilarious and unpredictable
Parenting is full of surprises, and this incident is just another example of how toddlers keep life… interesting. From sneaky escapes to unexpected antics, these tiny humans somehow manage to toe the line between mischievous and adorable.
Ash summed it up best: “[Reuben] finds himself very funny, he’ll do anything to get a laugh, and it certainly worked.”
And honestly? We love a toddler with a flair for the dramatic. Here’s hoping Ash catches a break tomorrow morning—or at least remembers to lock the safety gate.
Has your toddler ever pulled off an unexpected wake-up call? Share your funniest (or creepiest!) parenting moments with us over on Motherly’s TikTok or Instagram!
Related: 7 Montessori-inspired ways to have a smoother morning with your kids
