"Even the mucus was delicious" Parenting Overreaction Contest, 1st Place is the 'Mother who doesn't trust buildings'

The process of parenting is sometimes referred to as 'overreacting.' This is because extreme devotion toward a child can sometimes manifest as actions that exceed the boundaries of common sense. On KBS 2TV's 'Malja Show,' stories about what constitutes overreacting versus what is love were shared through various parenting episodes experienced by mothers.

"Strawberry seeds cause allergies"... Parenting episodes that transcend imagination

In this broadcast, various parenting cases that became hot topics through SNS were introduced. The cast expressed admiration at stories such as not trusting tap water for newborns and using purified water for baths, sending a husband out of the room for fear he might breathe the air in the baby's room, and even a story about storing a baby's dried mucus in a jewelry box. In particular, the story of a father who, worrying about the possibility of strawberry seeds causing allergies, removed each strawberry seed one by one using a toothpick, heated up the atmosphere on set. Additionally, cases such as a woman in her 6th week of pregnancy requesting help from those around her because she was careful even with the motion of picking up objects for fear the baby inside her womb might fold, or using a stainless steel ironing board as a diaper changing station because of a lack of trust in public facilities at highway rest areas, were also mentioned.

The stories of the participants who shared actual parenting experiences were even more specific. Ko Eun-young, who is active as 'Gaegu Woman' on SBS, revealed an experience where she felt pain in her trapezius muscle while removing seeds one by one to feed strawberries to her child. Furthermore, she shared anecdotes of striving for thorough hygiene management, such as carrying a formula maker to precisely match the temperature of formula, or wiping and drying inherited books with disinfectant wipes. She added that after "parenting retirement" (finishing childcare for the day), she disinfected all the toys the child had touched using disinfectants and disinfectant wipes. An experience of having conflict with her husband while trying to sleep an 8-week-old baby alone by insisting on French-style sleep training was also shared. At the time, the husband could not endure the sound of the child crying and demanded a return to Korean-style parenting, saying, "Are we French? Just hold the baby and let them sleep."

"Every child has their own pace"... Advice to soothe anxiety

Concerns of 'Whip PT' type mothers, who react sensitively to developmental speed during the parenting process, also continued. Regarding the appearance of mothers checking developmental status out of anxiety that their child might fall behind their peers, the cast emphasized that every child has their own pace. One participant cited a case where her son, who could not walk well in the past due to having a large head, is now a robust adult standing 180cm tall, advising, "It is important to wait leisurely so that the child can grow naturally according to their true self."

In addition, cases were introduced such as repeating the washing machine tub cleaning five times and throwing away existing towels because a husband's socks were mixed in, making vegetable broth directly to mix with formula for the child's nutrition, and holding the child's head while moving in a stroller for fear the child's head might shake until they arrived. Also, various moments that mothers could empathize with continued, such as the experience of loving a child enough to suck out their mucus directly with their mouth, or the desire to brag to friends about the news of the child's first bowel movement. A working mother participant also shared an anecdote where she bought milk for the children's nutrition but forbade her husband from drinking it.

To determine the most intense case among the various episodes, an 'Overreaction Contest' was held. The case of cleaning the entire washing machine because of a husband's socks and the case of sucking and swallowing a child's mucus competed fiercely. The final winner was decided through the choice of a grandfather who was present at the scene.

The grandfather, acting as a judge, selected the 'Mother who doesn't trust buildings' as the final 1st place, stating, "Rather than the case of throwing away a husband's socks, the case of overreacting because of not trusting a building, which is a public facility, is the most impressive." A crown was presented to the participant selected as the winner, and the moments of overreacting love concluded with laughter.

Source: original video (YouTube)