A New Zealand mother has sparked debate among parents after choosing not to share her ice cream with her crying toddler.

Rebecca remained composed as she savored her frozen mango dessert, despite her young son’s tantrum and demands for a share of the treat.

The incident drew mixed reactions online. Some praised Rebecca for demonstrating what they considered “good parenting” by resisting her four-year-old’s impatient outburst.

Conversely, some criticized her decision, labeling it as “selfish” for not comforting her child during his moment of distress.

Rebecca took to TikTok to explain that her son had already received an Oreo ice cream earlier as a reward following a doctor’s appointment.

She said he ate the whole thing by himself before she had even opened her mango confectionery. 

With his mouth covered in chocolate from his ice cream, the toddler started crying, asking for his mother to share as she bit into her sweet frozen treat.  

Rebecca ignored his demands and continued eating her treat while the boy had a ‘meltdown’, panicking that she would finish the ice cream before sharing. 

Rebecca, from New Zealand, was unfazed as she enjoyed a frozen mango treat while her son had a tantrum because he wanted her to share

In the last few seconds of the clip, she turned around seemingly to give the crying child a taste of the ice cream. 

She posted two videos of the incident, which collectively racked up a whopping 31.4million views – and sparked a heated debate in the comments. 

‘The way she ignored him healed me,’ one viewer laughed, and another said, ‘Kids getting humbled is the best feeling ever. ‘

‘As a mother, I love when kids don’t get what they want, lmao, how else will they learn?’ a third agreed. 

‘Kids need to learn from an early age that they aren’t entitled to everything. I’m sure (mum) asked him a thousand times if he wanted the same ice cream as her, but he kept insisting on the Oreo,’ one user wrote. 

‘Some parents need to learn that saying no is OK, and this lady just bought her son an Oreo ice cream and she’s now enjoying her own, and she doesn’t have to share if she doesn’t want to because he just had his, so yes, she’s in the right,’ someone added. 

Others weren’t impressed with the mother’s behaviour, saying the boy felt ‘excluded’.

‘At least let him try some,’ one woman said, and a second replied: ‘I feel sorry for him.’ 

Many applauded her ‘good parenting’ for not giving in to the ‘spoiled’ four-year-old’s impatient and dramatic demands

With his mouth covered in chocolate from his ice cream, the toddler started crying, asking for his mother to share as she bit into her sweet frozen treat. Rebecca ignored his demands

She posted two videos of the incident, which collectively racked up a whopping 31.4million views – and sparked a heated debate in the comments

‘Kids are kids. Maybe she should have bought two mango ice creams, then make a video while they eat it together to avoid situations like these,’ another wrote. 

In response to the wave of divided opinions, Rebecca explained what had happened that day in a follow-up video. 

‘We are allowed ice cream and I included myself because I was a good girl at the doctor’s too,’ she joked.

She said that while at the shop, she asked the four-year-old if he wanted the same ice cream as her, but he insisted on the cookies and cream one. 

‘He eats his walking back to the car, I eat mine in the car, and the rest is history,’ she said. 

‘Then I get home, watched the video again, and it made me laugh, so I decided to post it because I think it shows a fun reality about parents sometimes.’

She explained that as she was finishing the treat, she gave her son the stick with the last little bit of ice cream attached because she wanted to drive home ‘in peace’ and stop him from waking his baby sister, who was sleeping next to him.