Mother puts ankle weights on 18-month-old who is too fast. She called it a joke but not everyone agreed

A mom on TikTok decided to make a little humorous content with her 18-month-old toddler — and 100 million views later, things got a little out of hand. Farryn Mathie is the first person to admit that parenting can sometimes feel overwhelming, but with her son, the issue is simply that he’s too fast. So one day, she jokingly put ankle weights on him and posted the video online.

Mathie told People that her son, Milo, had always been noticeably faster than other toddlers his age whenever they were socializing. Other parents would apparently point it out to her and her husband in passing. Naturally, that came with the challenge of constantly keeping an eye on him to make sure he stayed safe while playing.

Mathie said she was spending time in her yard one day when an idea crossed her mind after noticing ankle weights lying on the ground. She told the outlet, “One day, while playing in the yard, we were joking that we should find a way to slow him down. Jokingly, we said we should put ankle weights on him, then quickly thought about how funny it would be, but also how it would probably just make him faster in the long run.”

She told People the whole thing lasted about a minute. She put the ankle weights on Milo, took out her phone, and posted the clip on TikTok with a funny caption. Mathie expected people to treat it the same way they would seeing a child wearing oversized shoes or a wig. Instead, the reaction was far more mixed than she expected.

One user wrote, “Using ankle weights on a developing infant is medically discouraged. At this stage, the skeletal system consists largely of cartilage and active growth plates, which are highly sensitive to external mechanical stress. This practice can lead to gait abnormalities, premature joint wear, and potential damage to bone development. Proper motor skill acquisition depends on natural, unweighted movement.” Another viewer, however, leaned into the humor, writing, “It’s all fun and games until you’re out in public with a toddler who never misses leg day.”

The video eventually garnered more than 5 million views on the platform. Dr. Dana Figura — a well-known foot doctor and internet personality — later made a reaction video of her own, saying she would not recommend ankle weights for toddlers under any circumstances.

Figura explained that children at that age are still developing balance, motor control, and muscle firing patterns. According to the podiatrist, the long-term effect of using ankle weights on a toddler could be awkward gait development because of the compensation a still-developing child would have to place on their hips.

Fortunately, Mathie says the entire thing was nothing more than a short-lived joke that the internet amplified into something much bigger. She also clarified that she has not put ankle weights on Milo again since filming the video. For everyone else, though, if your toddler is simply too fast — your only real option is to keep up.