Two-year-old dresses up as essential workers to pay tribute and show her appreciation

Across the world, we have been taking to our balconies and riding around in our cars to thank our essential workers. Whether it's by clapping for them or donating to causes that support them, we've all found our little ways to make them feel appreciated. A two-year-old girl in the United Kingdom has found her own special way too. Over the past few weeks, she has dressed up as a different kind of essential worker every Thursday. She's been doing so as part of the Clap For Our Carers initiative, a recurring gesture introduced by the government to show appreciation for the workers of Britain's National Health Service, Metro.co.uk reports.

So far, two-year-old Eliza Stonebank has dressed up as a nurse, surgeon, doctor, paramedic, and a supermarket worker, complete with her own tiny trolley. Every Thursday, she dresses up and bangs her toy pot from her Ikea play kitchen to thank all the dedicated people keeping her safe and healthy during the ongoing public health crisis. Her mom Natalie Stonebank is responsible for helping her put the costumes together. For the supermarket worker outfit, for instance, the mother took her eight-year-old son Oliver’s school jumper to recreate the uniform typically worn by a Sainsbury’s employee. She cut the sweater down to Eliza's size.

The toddler was reportedly initially inspired by her grandmother Sharon France, Natalie's mother, who works as a hospice nurse. The mother shared, "My mum is a nurse at the Bolton Hospice so she was really dressed up as my mum the first week. The first one we did, she dressed up as a nurse in Imogen’s costume from when she was little." Soon enough, Eliza wanted to show appreciation to all kinds of essential workers. In addition to playing dress-up, the two-year-old is rather satisfied with being able to stay up past her bedtime on Thursday evenings. "She usually goes to bed at 7 p.m. so it has become a thing for her, staying up late," said Natalie. "She’ll go and get her pans out of the kitchen to bang and she loves looking out for the fireworks."

Among those who find the idea incredibly adorable are the staff who work at Royal Bolton Hospital. They were incredibly impressed with Eliza's efforts and dedication. They commented on a video of the little girl's costumes, "Thanks for making us smile." Essential workers definitely need all the positivity they can get right now as they battle one of the worst pandemics the world has seen in the recent past. Like little Eliza, several children have been showing their appreciation for essential workers by making cards and leading the charge at fundraisers. You too can show your appreciation for frontline workers by practicing social distancing and donating to local causes protecting the rights and wages of these employees.