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When mom and content creator @nika.diwa sat her toddlers down to explain the concept of boundaries, she didn’t turn it into a Lecture. Instead, she came up with a playful framework:
“This is your business. This is her business.”
The clip, equal parts funny and genius, has now racked up more than 15.9 million views and over 851k likes in just five days. Parents in the comments are calling it a game-changing way to help kids learn when to step back.
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One commenter joked, “Can you do it again but for adults? The exact same format will be just fine” – @avixally. Clearly the internet is hooked.
Why this lesson resonates
Boundary-setting might sound like an advanced social skill, but experts say it starts in early childhood. Teaching toddlers about “their business” versus “someone else’s business” is an age-appropriate way to build emotional intelligence.
According to research published in The Journal of School Psychology, kids who develop strong emotional competence early on are more likely to succeed academically and build healthy relationships later in life. Learning how to Respect boundaries can also help reduce sibling conflict, strengthen empathy, and give kids tools to handle tricky social situations.
And when it’s taught with humor? That’s when it sticks. Playful lessons give kids a safe, lighthearted way to practice skills that could otherwise feel heavy or confusing.
Related: 3 simple steps to make setting boundaries easy this holiday season
How to try it at home
Want to give this strategy a spin in your own household? Some parents were ready to take notes: “Hey, I homeschool. I was wondering if you had this in a printable PDF?” @thewild_child_files, joked.
Parenting experts suggest:
- Use social coaching. Instead of only correcting behavior, narrate what your child is doing or help them put words to it. For example: “You’re waiting your turn” or “That’s your brother’s toy.” This helps kids connect actions with language and learn appropriate social skills.
- Model self-regulation. Children learn best by watching. When parents demonstrate calm responses—like taking a breath instead of snapping—kids are more likely to practice those same strategies in moments of frustration.
- Make it playful. Role-play, silly voices, puppets, or hand gestures can turn tense moments into opportunities for learning. Playfulness captures children’s attention and makes lessons about sharing, waiting, or respecting boundaries more memorable.
At the end of the day, moments like this remind us that parenting doesn’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes, the simplest phrases, said with love and a touch of humor, are the ones that help our kids grow into kind, self-aware humans.
And if this whole “mind your business” framework ever gets released as an adult workshop? Based on the comments, parents will be the first in line.
Related: I used these 10 positive parenting phrases in real life–here’s how it went