'I had a hard time doing my emotions,' B.C. tyke explains to mom in viral TikTok

A tyke from Prince George, B.C., is wowing the world with his emotional intelligence at just four years old.

Aldie’s mom, Jonisa Padernos, posted a video of the pair having a thoughtful conversation before the boy's bedtime on Tuesday, which has since been viewed more than 16.3 million times.

It starts with Aldie telling his mother that it made him sad when she didn’t let him go outside that day, which she explains to him was a consequence for his behaviour.

@mom_aldie Bedtime conversation. The last part made me ❤️🥹 #fyp #momlife ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono - moshimo sound design

“After I was a little sad, I was a little upset,” Aldie says, before correcting himself. “More than a little.”

In response, his mother validates his feelings.

“We all get upset sometimes. We don’t get what we want all the time,” Padernos said, which her son agreed with.

“But it’s hard for babies to do that,” Aldie tells his mother. “They don’t understand that you have to not do that.”

The four year old then recalls a situation earlier that day, when his baby sister dropped a plate, and he told his father, “Stop, breathe slow, and make a smart choice for Papa.”

According to Aldie, his dad listened and felt better—just like the tyke says he did after working through his own emotions.

“That’s life—we get upset, we get mad, we cry,” Padernos said before her son interjects.

“That’s emotions, Mamma!” Aldie exclaimed.

After discussing the day further, the young boy admits “I had a hard time doing my emotions.”

The video has caught the attention of celebrities like Meghan Trainor, who has a two year old son herself.

“I can’t wait for my boy to talk this much…so sweet,” Trainor commented.

Padernos is now fielding hundreds of requests along the lines of “Is your child taking new patients?” and “Does he take insurance or is this out of pocket?”

Speaking to CTV News Friday, Padernos says she and Aldie always have bedtime conversations, but even she was surprised by what her son said in the since-viral video.

“That day was the first time I saw him have a very hard time, so I wanted to record that bedtime conversation,” said Padernos. “Even I was amazed at how well he expressed how he felt. He can explain it when everything’s calm and quiet and he has the space to express.”

Aldie, who was on her lap during the interview, nodded his head and laughed as his mom recalled her surprise.

Padernos, a 32-year-old registered nurse who manages a group care home, says her son often makes her feel better when she’s feeling tired or down.

“Just the way he says, ‘I know, Mamma, it’s okay,’ it really helps,” she said. The same goes for when his young sister cries, and he tells mom, "It’s okay, Mamma. Babies cry!” Padernos said.

For any parents looking for advice on how to get kids to connect to their emotions, Padernos recommends adults lead by example.

“Sometimes I’m shocked by how he reacts to me—they mirror what you say and do, so we have to express what we feel so that they get encouraged to also express what they feel,” said Padernos.

When asked if there’s an emotion he likes most, Aldie replied “Happy!”