Toddler’s Reaction to Seeing Grandma Melts Hearts: ‘Real Love’

A toddler in the U.K. has captured hearts online for his delighted reaction to seeing his grandma dropping in for a surprise visit.

Molly Underdown, from the county of Kent in England, captured a video of her son Louie coming round the corner to see his nanny waiting for him.

In the clip, 15-month-old Louie toddles towards his mom, bottle in hand, and as soon as he notices his grandma is there, throws it to one side and gives her a loving cuddle.

“Louie is overwhelmed with happiness when his nan arrives to visit him,” Underwood told Newsweek.

The 26-year-old posted the footage on TikTok (@mollyunderdown) on October 22 and has delighted viewers, who can’t get enough of little Louie’s smile. The post has gone viral, with over 800,000 views and 72,000 likes.

This was a particularly touching moment for Underdown, who captioned the post: “His reaction” with four face-holding-back-tears emojis.

As well as thousands of likes, Underdown’s clip also garnered over 800 comments from other social media users, many of whom had their hearts melt by Louie’s overjoyed reaction.

“Isn’t that just the purest joy and love? Nanny spent time earning that,” one user commented. Another called Underdown’s clip “the cutest video” they’d ever seen on TikTok.

Another shared that their mom had passed away just over a month ago and their 2-year-old also loved their grandmother.

Underdown replied with her condolences, and also wrote that her dad has also passed away. “It’s hard not having them see your babies grow. Sounds like your mum was an amazing nana.”

A lone grandparent can foster a very close relationship with their grandchildren, positively impacting the child, particularly if the grandparent is actively involved in their life.

Research shows that the relationship benefits grandparents too. A 2008 study found that those involved in their grandchildren’s lives tend to experience less depression and report greater life satisfaction.

TikTok user @musicsavesmysanity encouraged Underdown to “treasure” her son’s grandma, as their mom passed away suddenly. “I miss my babies running to see their nanny and seeing the joy on their faces,” they commented.

“Who knew grandchildren are what we have all been waiting for,” another user wrote.

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