Mom explains what does 'gay' mean to 4-year-old daughter in the most heartwarming way possible

Children might struggle with understanding the concept of gender identity if they are unable to have a safe space to process it. In this progressive world, parents are finding it important to teach their kids about gender identity so that they can live their adult lives with clarity. One such mother on TikTok gave her 4-year-old a wholesome explanation of what it meant to be "gay" and the internet loved the adorable conversation. Meredith York Carter @m.carter15 realized that her daughter was quite fond of gay people but never knew the true meaning of being gay and decided to enlighten her about it.

At the beginning of the video, the 4-year-old Ellie, for some reason was telling that her mom was gay. "Gay is when boys love other boys and girls love other girls. Like, they get married to them," explained the mom. As the little girl still seemed confused, the mom said, "I, unfortunately, am not gay. I am married to daddy who is a boy." But the kid didn't seem to be happy with her mom not being gay and put on a pouted face. Apparently, Ellie still didn't understand what it meant to be gay and she just felt sad saying, "I guess I'm not gay." Seeing the sad little Ellie's face, the mom said, "We don't know yet. You're too little. You might be or you might not be and no matter what, it's okay."

When the 4-year-old validated that she might be gay because she liked gay people, the mom said, "We love gay people. Of course, we do. But we love straight people too." This response didn't sit well with the kid and she just walked away with folded hands. Huffing and puffing adorably around the living room, the girl wanted to show that she was disappointed about not being gay. "You could still be gay. We don't know. You don't have to be sad," reassured the mom. The parent then explained it to Ellie in a simpler way that caught her attention. 

"It's kind of like the color of your eyes or the color of your skin. It's just how you're born," said the mom and added, "So, we just don't know until you're older. You might be gay or you might be straight. It's just about who you love." Finally, Ellie was a bit convinced and her mood was back to normal. The mom reassured her daughter that it doesn't matter if the little girl grows up and chooses to be gay or straight. "It doesn't matter who you decide to marry or be with. Right?" asked the mom and Ellie nodded and replied, "It's because love is love." The mom agreed with the little one and ended the video saying, "All mommy and daddy care about is that you're happy and safe."

"The mind of a 4-year-old is a beautiful thing," said the caption and thousands of users agreed with it. With over 9.2 million views this video inspired many who lauded the mom for this wholesome conversation. "As someone who is gay, you handled this beautifully and also I laughed multiple times while watching," commented @leetaylor070. "I wish people understood it's not a difficult conversation and you don’t need all the specifics when they’re little. This is just to let them know it’s ok to ask," wrote @daveyfiacre. "You’re such an amazing mother taking the time to be honest and explaining things to her. Being a teacher I wish more parents were like you and just sit and explain things to their children," wrote @sheritamurray.

Follow Meredith York Carter (@m.carter15) for more amazing videos.

This article originally appeared 9 months ago.