Carson Herron, a 3-year-old in Indiana, takes mealtime very seriously.
“He’s a foodie,” Carson’s mom, Kelli told TODAY Parents, noting that they love experimenting in the kitchen together.
So Kellie, 27, how had no idea how Carson would respond when she presented him with an empty plate at lunch.
“I thought he might get mad,” Kellie revealed.
But Carson didn’t get mad.
In a video that has gone viral on TikTok with more than 19 million views, a smiling Carson is seen at a table waiting to eat. But when he sees the empty dish, his face crumbles and his lip begins to quiver.
“My food is gone,” Carson says, sadly. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Kellie replies.
Though Carson appears to be on the brink of tears, he quickly shakes it off and assures his mom, “That’s OK. That’s OK.”
At this point, Kellie lets Carson in on the joke and gets him his real lunch.
“I couldn’t take it anymore,” she told TODAY Parents. “I was horrified. I was about to cry.”
The adorable clip has racked up thousands of comments praising Carson’s mature reaction. Many are applauding Kellie for raising such a good-natured kid.
“The most grateful child I’ve ever seen in my life,” wrote one person.
Added another, “He’s more mature than my brother and my brother’s 18.”
Kellie regularly shares Carson content with his nearly 5 million TikTok followers.
“People are always saying he needs his own TV show,” she revealed. “He’s so animated. He’s so bubbly and loud. He’s really the funniest person.”
