Parents are yelling this name to stop kids' tantrums. Why does it work?

Some parents are using a new tactic to quell their child's tantrums. Her name is Jessica.

A new trend of parents calling out the name "Jessica" while their child is having an outburst has gained popularity on TikTok for its apparent effectiveness.

Nearly all of the videos play out in the same way: first, they show a crying toddler. Then, mom or dad starts calling for Jessica, sometimes even pretending to search for the imaginary person.

The response is almost instant – the child stops crying, and in some cases, starts to look for Jessica, too.

While the origins of the trend are unclear, videos of parents using the so-called Jessica trick have flooded social media in recent days, with many noting how successful it is.

But why? And could it be harmful? We talked to doctors to find out.

What is the Jessica trend?

Social media's newest parenting trend is aimed at calming kids down during a tantrum by randomly saying the name of an imaginary person or purporting to search for them.

While several names have been used for the trend, most of the videos use the name Jessica.

In a March 26 TikTok, user @krislynkuhn shared a video showing herself using the tactic on her toddler.

"Saw another mom on here start yelling 'Jessica' when a tantrum starts..." she wrote.

The video has been viewed more than 11 million times as of April 6.

"I don’t think we will ever find this Jessica because she literally started playing after this like no tantrum even happened," the poster wrote in the caption.

Bri Silva, another TikToker, posted a video also showing the approach worked to calm her daughter.

"Why does this work?" Silva wrote in the video, which has 2 million views to date. "Thank you Jessica."

Why does the Jessica trick for tantrums work?

So why does it seem to work? Doctors say the so-called Jessica trick can be effective because it is a technique known as redirection.

Dr. Mona Amin, a pediatrician and social media content creator, told USA TODAY that the approach helps pause a child's nervous system during a moment of heightened emotion.

"When you suddenly say something that is out of the ordinary, especially in a calm tone, it sort of interrupts that that escalation pattern that's happening in their brain," Amin said.

Another pediatrician, Dr. Lauren Hughes, emphasized how the method signals a shift in the child's brain.

"You have this sudden shift where you have to pay attention," Hughes told USA TODAY. "You're like, 'oh, wait, there's someone named Jessica? Let me look around for them.'"

Dr. Jessica Hochman told USA TODAY that it can shift the child's brain from upset to curious.

"Young children are wired for novelty, so something surprising can interrupt the emotional spiral," she wrote in an email.

Why Jessica?

It's unclear why Jessica became the name of choice for the trend, but doctors say any name could work as long as it's not someone the child knows.

As for what the Jessica's of the world think, Dr. Jessica Hochman noted that the name, which peaked in popularity in the 1980s, might be ideal because it is familiar but unexpected.

"Honestly, I’m just excited my name is trending again," Hochman told USA TODAY.

The 'Jessica' trick isn't one-size-fits-all

The pediatricians emphasized, though, that using a redirecting strategy like the Jessica trend is not a foolproof approach. It's most likely to work on toddlers, though it depends on the child, they all said.

"As they get older, they're not going to understand that redirect, nor is redirection like that going to work as much because they have more cognitive development to understand like, 'OK, why is my mom yelling Jessica?'" Amin said.

But parents can't distract their kids – especially older ones – out of every tantrum, Dr. Ari Brown told USA TODAY.

"Redirection might work for certain situations or in the moment, but the more important work of parenting is to give an older child validation that it is okay to feel frustrated or upset," Brown said in an email. "Give them ways to regain emotional regulation and problem solve for whatever led to the tantrum."

Could using the 'Jessica' trend be harmful?

Not everyone is buddying up to Jessica.

TikTok user @kendraworth said in a post that although the trend is "very cute" and seems to work, she wouldn't recommend it "because it is rooted in distraction and confusion."

Another user, @emlynpearce, wrote, "Parents need to STOP distracting their toddlers by calling for Jessica. It is selfish, cruel, and unfair."

Amin said she doesn't find it harmful as long as the tactic doesn't become threatening like "Jessica's gonna come yell at you."

Hughes said the Jessica technique is "more of an additional tool to use at appropriate times," but not to "avoid discussing emotions or dealing with tantrums."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].