A mother in Huntersville, North Carolina, found out that her two-year-old girl really liked to collect cicadas as if they were toys. Rather than freaking out over the abundance of insects scattered across her house, she decided to give her child a treat: a tiny living room for her six-legged friends.
The bizarre cicada extravaganza was shared online by Kiyomi Vining. She is a very popular content creator who often shares lifestyle and family content. Her toddler daughter took the spotlight in the video attached above, which, in turn, went viral. It garnered 5.1 million views, 948,300 likes, and close to 3,800 comments in a matter of days.
The North Carolina mother explained that her girl, Suni, got into collecting cicadas she finds outside her home. She would then bring them inside and play with them as if they were toys. Kiyomi had no issues with her sudden passion for insects, saying, “That’s a good hobby. I think it’s better than her doing drugs.”
A Tiny Cicada Living Room
The mom, however, did have an objection: finding cicadas all over the house. Not a fan of bugs, and certainly not a fan of finding cicadas everywhere, she decided to take matters into her own hands. No, she wasn’t getting rid of the insects, but rather encouraging her daughter to be more organized with her toy-like cicadas.
“I created this little living room for her to put her cicadas in,” Kiyomi said as she showed it to the camera. “I think the cicadas will be very happy here, and any other bugs that she finds.”
Kiyomi and her husband, Micah, showed Suni the tiny cicada living room and explained the reasoning behind it. The girl was ecstatic, and immediately started placing the cicadas on the tiny sofa and rug. The father, who was also overly enthusiastic, placed one of the bugs on a skateboard and another on top of the TV remote.
Then, Micah held a cicada and started dancing with it to some music. Suni did the same with two of them. Kiyomi didn’t, choosing to stand up and get away from the odd, albeit endearing moment.
“This is literally one step away from doing psychedelics,” Micah said, laughing.
Reactions
The cicada adventure sparked multiple responses, mainly from viewers who were not too fond of dead bugs as toys. One said, “Why is this her hobby?” Another one commented, “How is she always finding deceased, fully intact cicadas lying around?“
Others found Kiyomi’s willingness to embrace her daughter’s hobby surprising and moving. One wrote, “Girl, that lexapro is working.” Another one added, “This is so disturbing and also so incredibly awesome simultaneously.”
While it is certainly eye-catching and not common, playing with cicadas is considered a safe activity. By the looks of it, Suni will be doing that for years to come.
