This Mom Explained Forehead Wrinkles To Her Daughter In The Sweetest Way

In a world of filters and fillers, Botox and eyelash extensions, aging feels a bit more taboo than ever. Think about it: When’s the last time you saw a famous woman flaunt her forehead lines? Probably never. But one mom on TikTok proudly flashed hers as she described the heartwarming way she explained aging to her young daughter. (Fellow parents, you’re going to want to take notes.)

Amanda McKay (@mandbodyspirit on TikTok) posted a video in which she describes her 4-year-old little girl asking her a question I’m sure we can all imagine our kids coming up with. What are those lines on her forehead? Instead of feeling unintentionally called out, Amanda said, “I’m so glad you asked.” She explained that when we’re young, our skin bounces back to its original shape. But the more and more we make certain shapes with it, the more our skin starts to remember those shapes. “It reflects the movements that we’ve done over time that have created those lines,” she said.

“These lines for me show all the times that I got excited for myself and the people around me that I love,” she explained, showing her daughter how her forehead wrinkles upward when she makes a surprised, happy face, like she’s just received some great news. She also pointed out fine lines around her eyes and mouth from years of smiling. By the end of the conversation, her daughter decided it was pretty cool that our bodies remember all these good things from our lives and stated she “wanted some” forehead lines of her own.

As McKay explains, her daughter is still young, and conversations around aging and beauty will come up many more times as she grows up. While she can’t insulate her daughter from it all forever, this being the first narrative she has ever heard about aging is bound to do her so much good. As one commenter put it, “My favorite part about toddlerhood is being able to explain these things to our children for the first time and in a way that opens up their hearts to the world.”

Other commenters shared their own experiences hearing negative self-talk from their parents about aging, and how it went on to affect their own perceptions. “I wish I had this growing up. You’re creating her internal monologue, and it will be a loving one,” said one. Another shared, “Thank you for re-parenting all of us out of our moms actually saying ‘don't talk about my ugly wrinkles’ just now.”

With so many reports about how social media negatively impacts teens’ mental health and confidence, McKay’s explanation is a great example of how we can start talking to our children early about the beauty of aging and what real bodies look like. I imagine that by the time her daughter is old enough for social media, she’ll take in all the perfectly edited images with a critical eye, instead of being critical of herself for not looking the same way. It’s also a good nudge for those of us who are all grown up and need a reminder that there are years of joy etched into our faces, and that’s really cool, actually.

“This is beautiful framing, even for me at 31 starting to get wrinkles,” said one commenter. “How beautiful that our bodies remember.”