Mom Writing 'U P*** Me Off' to Toddler With Food Sparks Fierce Debate

A viral video of a mom telling her daughter how she really feels in food-form has divided the internet.

The TikTok video was shared on Wednesday by mom Emma, posting under @emma_moonbeam, and now has over 5 million views and thousands of responses.

Posted with the caption: "Love her really," the video shows the mom serving her 2-year-old daughter lunch—including alphabet potato shapes that read "u p*** me off."

In over 10,000 comments, many TikTok users responded with shock at the video, with one writing: "Oh that's not nice even if she doesn't know how to read! Not funny I'm afraid," while another said: "Why humiliate your child like that! Does it feel good to have something mean received with such happiness?"

"I don't find this funny to be honest," one user wrote.

But this under fire mom isn't alone, with the term 'why are children so annoying?' ranking as one of Google's more common searches.

However, the little girl cannot yet read her mother's message—a fact that many users pointed out.

One TikToker wrote: "Take advantage of them not being able to read properly while you can," while another said: "I miss my child being young enough not to understand the words I made with their alphabet spaghetti."

In a follow-up video, the full-time mom responded to the backlash and said: "She's two! She can't read and p*** is hardly even a swear word."

In fact, it's likely that it will be a few years until the youngster can understand any lunchtime messages. U.S. Department of Education reading programs often say children should learn to read by age 8, or third grade. However, a study of reading performance by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that 65 percent of America's fourth graders do not read at a proficient level.

Despite disapproval, many TikTokers also saw the funny side of the video. One user wrote: "All the amazing perfect parents upset by this… lighten up guys," while another wrote: "The moms that get it, get it. This is hilarious!"

The original poster emma_moonbeam later responded to many comments—specifying that the video was meant to be a joke and laughing at those taking it too seriously: "I mean, I think I'm hilarious," wrote the mom.

Earlier in February, parents shared the "parenting trends" they strongly disagreed with in a viral post.

Newsweek has reached out to emma_moonbeam for comment.