A mother’s decision not to share her ice cream with her tearful toddler has sparked a lively debate among parents online.

In New Zealand, Rebecca remained calm and continued to enjoy her mango-flavored ice cream, seemingly unbothered by her young son’s tantrum over her refusal to share.

Some praised her approach, applauding what they viewed as a demonstration of ‘good parenting’ by not yielding to her four-year-old’s dramatic and impatient behavior.

Conversely, others criticized her actions, labeling her as ‘selfish’ for not comforting her upset child.

Rebecca took to TikTok to explain the situation, revealing that she had already bought her son an Oreo ice cream as a treat after a doctor’s appointment.

She noted that he had finished his entire ice cream before she even began enjoying her mango dessert.

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.