Viral momfluencer is criticized after sharing a clip of his son snapping at his father

Parent influencer Hannah Hiattknown as Sister Hannahspark controversy To TikTok after a now-deleted video showed her young son wincing as his father approached him in a grocery store. Some viewers suggested the child’s reaction might indicate fear traumawhile some suggested sensory issues or overstimulation.

Trigger warning: child abuse – Nurse Hannah, who has 95,300 followers on TikTok, shared a video, which she has since deleted, in which her son James appeared to flinch as her husband approached the little boy who was sitting in a shopping cart.

Although the original video is no longer available on Hannah’s TikTok page, it was reshared on social media.

One person reshared the controversial clip TikTokIn the caption, she writes: “Why would a toddler of this age flinch at anything? This needs to be investigated.”

Parenting influencer Hannah Hiatt, known as Nurse Hannah, sparked controversy on TikTok

Photo credit: hannah_bhiatt

Photo credit: hannah.bhiatt

Crowds of people then flocked to express their concern, with one TikTok user commenting: “He didn’t even flinch, he looked at her in pure horror.”

One person wrote: “He looked scared.”

Someone else wrote: “If they record this. Imagine what happens that they don’t record.”

She shared a now-deleted video showing her young son wincing as his father approached him in a grocery store

Photo credit: ohimasharethetea

Photo credit: ohimasharethetea

“So heartbreaking,” one netizen added.

One observer said: “That was me as a toddler after my father beat me all the time.

“My kindergarten teacher saw me shying away from her when I accidentally dropped a toy, and then she filed a report with CPS.”

Some viewers suggested the child’s reaction could indicate fear or trauma

“My son has ADHD“ explained a cybernaut. “He flinches at everything because it surprises him. This baby is literally blocking his face!”

One commenter added: “Oh the poor baby. That’s so sad.”

Photo credit: hannah.bhiatt

Another viewer remarked: “He also blocked his face after the wince. I hope he’s okay.”

Another user echoed: “He looked directly into her face to analyze her current feelings. Anger would mean abuse and he knows it.”

Another person chimed in: “Oh my god, that’s a learned reaction! Someone go save the baby! That’s pure fear in these eyes!”

Some suggested sensory issues or overstimulation as the reason for the boy’s twitching

Children who are physically abused may suffer injuries such as burns, bites, cuts, bruises, or broken bones. Kent Council Family Centre explained. These may not match the reasons given for their cause.

The child appears to be afraid of a particular person. They may flinch when touched or appear withdrawn.

Hannah has since deactivated the comment sections on her TikTok page and set her Instagram profile to private.

Additionally, the nurse uploaded a follow-up video to the abuse allegations, which appears to have been deleted.

Despite it, YouTuber Melina Tesi re-shared the clip on Tuesday (December 3). In the video, Hannah clarified: “If you know me in real life, this whole crazy husband thing is satire.”

The momfluencer had shared videos on TikTok that appeared to cast a humorous and negative light on her “lazy” husband.

Nurse Hannah’s video sparked a worrying trend encouraging parents to “test” their children.

“My husband is the sweetest, kindest, kindest, most loving, most caring father in the whole world,” Hannah exclaimed.

She further shared that her husband and their young son James have the “strongest bond” she has ever seen between a man father and a son.

“In the video you’re all freaking out about, they’re just playing,” Hannah explained, adding that James and her husband were always playing together.

Hannah went on to draw comparisons to American Ruby Franke Prisoners and former family vlogger who ran the now-defunct YouTube channel 8 Passengers.

Ruby’s story underscores broader ethical concerns about privacy, consent and the commercialization of family life on social media.

The Utah-based former parenting influencer rose to prominence for promoting strict parenting methods to her 2.5 million subscribers.

The TikTok trend is about observing whether children shy away from their parents

Her channel, which was active from 2015 until its closure in 2021, was criticized for harsh disciplinary practices, including withholding meals and isolating children as punishment.

In August 2023, Ruby and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested for child abuse after Ruby’s 12-year-old son fled Jodi’s house, malnourished and bound with duct tape.

The case highlighted the potential dangers of family vlogging, as critics argued that such channels exploit children for content and normalize harmful behavior under the guise of parenting advice.