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The Downside of Surprise Egg Videos in Parenting
When I first stumbled upon a YouTube video featuring an adult woman with perfectly manicured nails opening colorful Easter eggs and describing their contents in excruciating detail, I thought my daughter was losing her mind. We watched for a few moments, and I laughed at the absurdity of it all. Fast forward several months, and the humor has worn thin. No matter how many videos I think I’ve seen, new ones keep emerging with different themes, characters, and formats. Want to watch someone “catch” eggs in a pool and reveal their surprises? It’s out there. How about Easter eggs cleverly wrapped in Play-Doh decorated to resemble feelings from Inside Out? You bet! It seems that whatever show or movie your child enjoys has a corresponding surprise egg video, which means these annoyances are here to stay as my daughter’s interests shift. Just fantastic.
These surprise eggs are testing my patience. I find them frustrating, and I question the adults who create this content. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. What compels an adult to dedicate their free time to purchasing tiny toys to stash in eggs, set them up for display, and film themselves acting surprised at the contents? It’s baffling! If I had an hour to spare, I’d find much more productive ways to use it. While I believe everyone has their own preferences, there’s simply no justification for this behavior.
Adding to my frustration is the bizarre variety of related content that YouTube suggests after a surprise egg video ends. There are grown adults pretending to be Peppa Pig’s dentist, performing tooth extractions on Shrek, and staging “Peppa goes to the hospital for surgery” scenarios with figurines. These absurd recommendations pop up if I’m not quick enough to exit after watching an egg video. I didn’t ask for more ridiculous content, but here we are.
Now, surprise egg videos have become a daily occurrence in our household. They’re the go-to “screen time” activity and, admittedly, a powerful tool to diffuse my toddler’s meltdowns. My daughter is specific about her preferences: “Paw Patrol, please” or “I want to watch Peppa Pig eggs.” I’m even using these videos to coax her home from the park or to encourage her to tidy up her toys. I can’t be the only parent experiencing this; these videos garner millions of views. My fellow parent friends roll their eyes in recognition when I mention the “surprise egg phenomenon,” while those without children often look at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
Who conceived this idea, and what drove them to think it was a good one? As parents, how did we allow these videos into our homes? If I could turn back time, I would. They’re worse than Teletubbies or Barney. If I didn’t fear ending up watching both, I might consider introducing them as alternatives.
There are countless tasks I’d rather tackle, such as washing dishes, doing laundry, or even cleaning behind the stove. Yet, I find myself caving in to my daughter’s polite requests: “Can we watch the eggs, please, the Mickey ones?” It’s back to square one. Eggs on the TV, eggs on the tablet—she’s happy as long as the eggs are involved.
The worst moments arise when we’re in a situation where the eggs can’t be accessed, leading to imminent meltdowns. Your phone dies, you’re out of Wi-Fi range, or YouTube won’t load fast enough. You’re helpless. Recently, my daughter discovered a plastic Easter egg in our home, and it has become her favorite toy. She plays with it more than the expensive toys I’ve purchased. “Mummy, can you open it and see what’s inside?” she asks, and when I do, she’s surprised to find her own toy still nestled inside. This is charming for a two-year-old, but the behavior of adults in the surprise egg realm is unacceptable and must cease.
The popularity of surprise egg videos shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a trend I wish would end, akin to fashion faux pas like men in purple skinny jeans. I’m tempted to rally other parents against the eggs. Yes, I recognize how silly that sounds, but I’m running out of options, and my patience is wearing thin. Toddler trends usually fade quickly, but daily I find myself hoping for the next phase to arrive sooner rather than later. Anything but this.
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Summary
Surprise egg videos have taken over the lives of many parents and their children, leading to moments of frustration and confusion. While they can be a useful tool for managing toddler behavior, their absurdity raises questions about the adults who create them. As a parent, it’s essential to navigate these trends wisely and hope for the next phase of interests to come along soon.