Mom teaching 7-year-daughter to play dead in case of school shooting is a tragic reminder of reality

When the school year starts, apart from everyday concerns, parents are also posed with the issue of kids' safety from school shootings. Most parents would love for their children to explore, learn and socialize in schools, but this daunting safety concern sparks anxiety deep down. Parents also face the dilemma of whether they should warn their kids of such dangerous situations or refrain from scaring them. But one mom went viral for her outright safety lesson to protect her daughter against school shooters. Eeka McLeod, who posts wholesome family content on the TikTok handle @themcleodfam, shared a heartbreaking video of her 7-year-old learning to play dead.

As the video begins, McLeod's daughter, Ella, can be seen lying flat on the floor and not moving much. "Dead people don't smile. Stop breathing so heavily. Don't move. Very light breathing," the mom instructed. The kid tries her best to keep up with the advice, but she can't hide how her stomach moves up and down as she breathes. "If the police come in and say, 'Do you need help,' do you respond?" the mom asks, to which Ella mumbles something softly. McLeod immediately interrupts her and asks her not to say anything, even if it is the police. 

"You shouldn't have responded to me now, right?" the mom said. She mentioned in the text overlay that she had "started small" with these drills and hoped to spend more time teaching Ella to play dead during school shootings. To look more convincingly deceased, the 7-year-old was taught to lie down in different positions and the mom suggested that she relax her face and every muscle in her body to stay still. She tried testing Ella again by saying, "Police! Open up. Is anybody in there?" But the clever child didn't react at all and the mom praised her for it. "This doesn't feel real. Ella is 7. She's in 2nd grade now. She's still learning to read and has the tiniest little lisp," the concerned mom added in the caption. 

McLeod, being a single parent, was forced to do these drills for her daughter's safety and wished it upon no parent. This video reached over 32 million views in a month and people couldn't agree more with the mom. "I'm not okay watching this, my heart! But this is how a little girl in Uvalde, Texas, survived because she and her daddy would practice at home," said @audreyjudith3. "My heart broke when I wouldn't buy my son light-up shoes the other day and he kept asking me why he couldn't have them," worried @maryzein2016. "It's awful that this needs to be taught, but you're doing a great job. This is the world we live in and you're doing amazing as a mom," added @carolinebizzarro. 

When @acmacd asked why kids shouldn't respond even when the police arrive, McLeod posted a response. "Kids are not going to know the difference, so right out the gate, I teach my daughter just not to answer the door," she explained. Saying that it was better that Ella stayed put rather than give any response, McLeod stated the example of a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. "When police entered the campus, they called out to the children to see if they needed help. It was still an active shooter situation, and when those children responded, their lives were ended," she said. Her video gave parents a much-needed reality check.

You can follow Eeka McLeod (@themcleodfam) on TikTok for more family content.