Children's entertainer Ms Rachel has advised parents to spend 10 minutes a day following their toddler's lead, saying they do not need to entertain their children for hours on end. The YouTube sensation, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, shared the advice in response to a parent who said they "hate playing with their toddler".
Advice to Parents
Sharing on TikTok, Ms Rachel emphasised the importance of using those 10 minutes to "immerse yourself in their world". She told her 12.3 million followers: "You do not have to be Elsa for three hours. I've tried it and it's too hard."
Ms Rachel added: "Playing with a toddler can be boring and repetitive and it's okay that you feel this way, no judgement. We all have different gifts as parents, I hate cooking and I do microwave chicken nuggets a lot and I can do the creative play."
She suggested that parents who enjoy cooking could involve their toddler in that activity, while others might prefer going outside to the playground, playing soccer, or doing art. "I think for 10 minutes a day that's a good goal to follow your child's lead and just immerse yourself in their world," she said.
Rise to Fame
The 43-year-old launched her content in 2019 after struggling to find media materials for her son, who experienced a speech delay. She has achieved considerable success since the Covid-19 pandemic, amassing billions of viewers across numerous YouTube videos aimed at toddlers and young children.
Her content primarily centres on early language development, speech milestones, sign language, and gestures for toddlers. Ms Rachel developed Songs for Littles, a children's music YouTube series comprising a mix of traditional children's songs, nursery rhymes and original compositions for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Following the posting of her clip, numerous parents commented on the advice. One wrote: "Ms Rachel for President." Another commented: "Literally you teach me how to be a great nanny! Had her speaking at 13 months!" A third remarked: "Try singing songs with them, that counts as playing!"
