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People share 'very American problems' that many Americans don't realize are unique to the U.S.

What we see as "normal" is not normal everywhere.

getting fired, losing your job with no notice, laid off without warning
Photo credit: Canva

Apparently, losing your job without notice is an American phenomenon.

When you live in one country your whole life, it's easy to form ideas about what's "normal" and what's not. Cultural standards and accepted norms vary country by country, though, sometimes in dramatic ways that we wouldn't even think of.

That's why when someone asked, "What’s a very American problem that Americans don’t realize isn’t normal in other countries?" the answers were eye-opening. Seeing major aspects of American life that are not realities in other countries, especially other wealthy, developed nations, is wild. It's also a good reminder that we all have things to learn from one another and the things we might think of as impossible actually aren't.

from AskReddit

Lots to think about here as we ponder our quality of life and what's worth trying harder to change:

The cost of healthcare and medical bankruptcy

"Was in Germany with food poisoning. Drove myself to the ER. They were SHOOK when I told them I did. They then quietly told me you don't pay for ambulances there."

"I’ve never understood why police and firefighters get covered but we get a bill for ambulances. You'd think anything related to 911 is covered by our taxes."

ambulance ride, er visit, emergency room, medical costs. emergencyAmbulance rides can cost a pretty penny in the U.S.Photo credit: Canva

"First time I was living in Japan (didn’t understand the healthcare yet) and took a cab to the ER. They were so concerned and confused why I would do that. I was seen immediately, given IV, six medications on my way out: it only cost my like 60$USD. My friend apologized for how I had to pay so much as a non-citizen. I was shocked it was so cheap."

"I had a cancer diagnosis in 2019 and I joined an online support group. Americans were worried about the costs or losing their job because of missed days for treatment and doctors appointments. I'm Canadian. None of that stuff was any part of my worries. FYI, we got it all. I'm good."

"Yea the amount of GoFundMe’s for just like routine life medical s__t is wild."

"Breaking Bad would not have happened anywhere else but the US."

Prescription drug commercials

"I can’t even afford to go to the doctor. What makes you think I would book an appointment to see a doctor and ask for a drug that could give me 'blindness, or even death.'"

list of side effects, gif, America, drugs, problemsSide effects from drugs, GIF by Eternal FamilyGiphy

"I really love the ones that can give you 'potentially fatal disintegration of the perineum.'"

"This sports game brought to you by a prescription drug with a long list of horrifying side effects!"

Losing your job without notice

"That you can lose your job without warning. No notice period where you can get paid while looking for something else. Just getting thrown out of a workplace you've been at for years, with your belongings. And that this can lead to losing your right to proper health care because of insurance. Basically, no rights and no safety net. Only the rich seem to get severance packages."

"In my first job in Europe, I and the university screwed up majorly with my visa and I ended up stranded in Canada for a couple of weeks waiting to fix it. When I wrote to my boss to tell him what happened, I reassured him that I knew I'd probably lose my job over this etc. He was shocked that I even thought it was a possibility."

being fired, losing job, lay off, America, being laid off with no noticeOther countries have policies that prevent being let go with no notice.Photo credit: Canva

"Here in Ireland, there's been multiple instances where American-run companies think they can fire/lay off employees just like in America, and end up getting legal proceedings taken against them as a result."

"In Norway 3 months notice with pay is the standard."

No guaranteed maternity leave

"I still can't believe paid maternity leave is not a standard thing. And shit like women going back to work two weeks after giving birth. What is going on?"

"I know of a company that was bought out by an American company. They tried to enforce American rules on maternity leave. It did not work out well for them."

Pregnant woman, maternity leave, pregnancy, America, american parental leave policiesPaid parental leave is not guaranteed in the U.S.Photo credit: Canva

"The company I worked for denied my maternity leave and then approved it and then fired me for a system error that I begged them to fix for month. One that I didn’t cause. The maternity leave wasn’t even paid, it was just so I could return to work."

"I'm sorry, not an American. How are people meant to deal with raising a child without a maternity leave?"

Vacation time is seen as a luxury

"Getting time off. 2 weeks here feels like a lot. You work a bunch to get some more time off after x number of years. Other countries can get a month off no issue it seems like."

"I'm in the UK, I get 6 weeks plus bank holidays. I want more, asked for more, so my manager checked with HR. He now can approve another 3 weeks unpaid every year without needing further approval.

Also my American colleagues get the same benefits including 6 months paternity leave (full pay). He used it and he said his family genuinely questioned if he'd been fired and was trying to hide it. 😂"

"The law in France forces me to take 2 consecutive weeks between May and October of each year. After that I still have almost 6 weeks of vacation left on top of public holidays. You can take 3 weeks in a row without issue, but 4+ requires some negotiation, but it really depends on your job and company, for some it's a non-issue."

vacation time, time off from work, sitting by the pool, relaxingVacation time is seen as a given, not a luxury, in Europe and Australia.Photo credit: Canva

"I get 4 weeks Annual Leave a year + 2 weeks sick leave [in Australia]. They accrue and the annual leave must be paid out when you leave the company. I also get Long Service Leave (13 weeks at 10 years of service and 1.3 weeks every year after that.)"

"A friend of mine has like 5-6 weeks vacation per year in the US. Hasn't taken more than a week off within a year for years now. And I don't even think it's a full week as a block. He just takes 5 days max within the year."

Gun violence

"Guns. So many guns. So much gun violence. Just not an issue in other countries."

"Active shooter drills for kids in school. Bullet proof backpacks."

"One of the things that may surprise Americans, is that over in Europe and other places in the world, we don't do gun drills at schools or other places. We don't simply need to, because firearms offences are so low."

Protesters, holding signs, advocating unity, action, anti-gun sentimentsGun violence and active shooter drills are not the norm in other developed nations.Photo credit: Canva

"There are a lot of developed countries with a lot of guns. Canada, Switzerland, Finland, for example. Heck, even the UK has a lot of shot guns in the countryside.

The American culture of gun violence is unmatched in the developed world. It's not quite as bad as some Central America or under developed countries, but it's definitely an outlier in developed countries...I guess that is just America in general."

There are lots of wonderful things about the United States, but that doesn't mean there aren't places we could improve. Sure, some of these things are enormous, systemic things that are difficult to change, but knowing they're not "normal," only normal for Americans, might give us an extra push to advocate for what we really want as a people.

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Joy

5 small things that made us smile this week

Your weekly cheat sheet to the best of the Internet

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Life can be bleak, so we’re going to be celebrating the small joys while we can—whether that’s a sweet snack that boosts your mood (courtesy of our friends at All In), or a dad joke so epic you'll hurt your eyes from rolling them so hard. These momentary mood boosters are everywhere you look—you just have to be able to find them underneath all the noise. And that’s where we come in.

Consider this weekly web series your cheat sheet to the best of the Internet—not just random memes to make you laugh, but examples of people truly finding something extraordinary in the mundane. Each Friday we'll be delivering five pieces of media that allow you to stop for a second, take a breath, and feel just a little bit brighter among the daily stress—and this week, in honor of Father's Day, it's dad-themed.

Ready to smile? Here we go.

1.The "soulmated so hard" trend

@breezeb3a

I’ll never recover from losing you 💓

♬ The Winner Is... Version - DeVotchKa

This is a TikTok trend that’s both wholesome and, at times, actually jaw-dropping. The premise is this: Pets can be our soulmates, and sometimes we “soulmate” so hard that our pets leave a lifelong impression on us. This trend has people showing how big of an impression their pets have made on them, even after they’ve crossed the rainbow bridge. In one video, user Brianna Kay shares an ultrasound of her baby with what looks like the outline of her dog kissing the baby on the forehead. In another video, an owner asks her soulmate cat to send her a sign from beyond the grave that she is at peace. The response (here) will shock you.

2. Dudes getting flowers

Why is it that men (traditionally speaking) are the ones who give flowers, and not usually the ones who get them? We don’t have a good answer for that, but it’s clearly time to flip the script. This week, our friends from All In are hitting the streets of New York and delivering bouquets to men, and they are absolutely loving it. Let’s make this a regular thing.

3. A new grandpa gets good news  

@ellelauricella In my feels today remembering my dad’s reaction to meeting my baby ❤️ We named his middle name after my father and kept it a surprise my whole pregnancy. This was one of the happiest moments of my whole life. #postpartum #dad #dadsoftiktok #dadanddaughter #grandson #firstgrandbaby #birthvlog #hospitalbirth #momsoftiktok #fyp #firsttimemom ♬ Stuff We Did (from 'Up') - Piano Version - your movie soundtrack

Just in time for Father's Day! There’s almost no better way to honor your dad than naming a new baby after him, which is exactly what happens in this video. It’s almost impossible not to cry (happy tears!) seeing this new grandpa learn the good news from his daughter, who’s already weepy from postpartum hormones. (We’re not crying, you’re crying.)

4. Dad's loving dogs

@aubree.avery I had to make a PowerPoint to convice my parents to let me get her & now she is four years old and my parents beg me everyday to let them keep her. #dogmom #doodle #doodlesoftiktok #dogs ♬ Kiss me Sixpence None The Richer - whitelinesprettybabyy

Speaking of adorable dads: It seems like there’s this universal experience where when someone brings a pet into a household, the dad of the household will refuse to bond with it (at least at first). TikTok has latched on to this truth and is now flipping the script, showcasing dads who initially refused to accept the family pet and are now treating it like their precious firstborn. Search “dads and the dog they didn’t want” on TikTok and you’ll find some hilarious examples (like this dad, testing every couch inside a furniture store to make sure he’s able to adequately rub the dog’s belly from his seat on the sofa).

5. A dog who just cannot handle a prank 

@haleyandthepets spoiler bro got mad instantly #foryou #foryoupage #dogs #fyp #dunkindadawg #viral ♬ snoopy von - joro.mixes

We can never share enough dog content, right? (That was a rhetorical question, because the answer is of course not.) Dogs are adorable. They’re hilarious. And they have some very strong feelings. In this video, one easygoing dog gets his “nose stolen” as a prank, and every time he finds out, he shows his owner that he is absolutely not having it. Give that baby her nose back!

For even more “extra”-ordinary moments, come find us on social media (@upworthy) or on upworthy.com!

For scrumptious snacks that add an extra boost of joy to your day, be sure to check out All In.

Pop Culture

Brit shares the one-word 'dead giveaway' that American actors can't do an English accent

“There is one word that is a dead giveaway that an English character in a movie or a TV show is being played by an American."

via Warner Bros Discovery

Peter Dinklage on "Game of Thrones"?

When it comes to actors doing accents across the pond, some Americans are known for their great British accents, such as Natalie Portman ("The Other Boleyn Girl"), Robert Downey, Jr. ("Sherlock Holmes"), and Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady"). Some have taken a lot of heat for their cartoonish or just plain weird-sounding British accents, Dick Van Dyke ("Mary Poppins"), Kevin Costner ("Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") and Keanu Reeves ("Bram Stoker's Dracula").

Some actors, such as Tom Hardy (“The Drop”) and Hugh Laurie (“House”), have American accents so good that people have no idea they are British. Benedict Townsend, a London-based comedian and host of the “Scroll Deep” podcast, says there is one word that American actors playing characters with a British accent never get right. And no, it’s not the word “Schedule,” which British people pronounce the entire first 3 letters, and Americans boil down to 2. And it’s not “aluminum,” which British and American people seem to pronounce every stinking letter differently.


@benedicttown The one word American actors aways get wrong when doing an English accent
♬ original sound - Benedict Townsend

What word do American actors always get wrong when they do British accents?

“There is one word that is a dead giveaway that an English character in a movie or a TV show is being played by an American. One word that always trips them up. And once you notice it, you can't stop noticing it,” Townsend says. “You would see this lot in ‘Game of Thrones’ and the word that would always trip them up was ‘daughter.’”

Townsend adds that when British people say “daughter,” they pronounce it like the word “door” or “door-tah.” Meanwhile, Americans, even when they are putting on a British accent, say it like “dah-ter.”

“So top tip if you are an actor trying to do an English accent, daughter like a door. Like you're opening a door,” Townsend says.


What word do British actors always get wrong when doing American accents?

Some American commenters returned the favor by sharing the word that British actors never get right when using American accents: “Anything.”

"I can always tell a Brit playing an American by the word anything. An American would say en-ee-thing. Brits say it ena-thing,” Dreaming_of_Gaea wrote. "The dead giveaway for English people playing Americans: ‘Anything.’ Brits always say ‘EH-nuh-thin,’” marliemagill added. "I can always tell an actor is English playing an American when they say ‘anything.’ English people always say it like ‘enny-thin,’” mkmason wrote.


What is the cot-caught merger?

One commenter noted that the problem goes back to the cot-caught merger, when Americans in the western US and Canadians began to merge different sounds into one. People on the East Coast and in Britain pronounce them as different sounds.

“Depending on where you live, you might be thinking one of two things right now: Of course, ‘cot’ and ‘caught’ sound exactly the same! or "There’s no way that ‘cot’ and ‘caught’ sound the same!” Laura McGrath writes at DoYouReadMe. “As a result, although the different spellings remain, the vowel sounds in the words cot/caught, nod/gnawed, stock/stalk are identical for some English speakers and not for others.” For example, a person from New Jersey would pronounce cot and catch it as "caht" and "cawt," while someone from Los Angeles may pronounce them as "caht" and "caht."

To get a better idea of the big difference in how "caught" and "cot" are pronounced in the U.S., you can take a look at the educational video below, produced for a college course on linguistics.


- YouTubeyoutu.be

American actors owe Townsend a debt of gratitude for pointing out the one thing that even the best can’t seem to get right. For some actors, it could mean the difference between a great performance and one that has people scratching their heads. He should also give the commenters a tip of the cap for sharing the big word that British people have trouble with when doing an American accent. Now, if we could just get through to Ewan McGregor and tell him that even though he is fantastic in so many films, his American accent still needs a lot of work.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Pop Culture

Audience goes wild over Indian metal band's kickass 80s rock cover of 'Set Fire to the Rain'

“Authentic 80's style hard rock coming from unexpected places!”

America's Got Talent/Youtube

Bet you've never heard Adele like that before

The ultra catchy, outrageously flamboyant, and shamelessly fun sounds of 80s hair metal might have just made a comeback, all thanks to a rock band hailing from India.

The group, called Girish and the Chronicles, recently auditioned for America’s Got Talent with an explosive rock-n-roll covers of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain,” which basically set a proverbial fire to the stage with crazy guitar riffs, insane vocals, and yes, totally bodacious hair-dos.

Girish Pradhan, the lead singer, barely got two (incredibly impressive) notes outs before audience members popped out their seats and started jamming along.

Watch:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Down in the comments, listeners were floored not only by the band’s sheer level of talent, but at the cool cross cultural-ness of it all.

“They came for an audition and gave us a concert.”

“Authentic 80's style hard rock coming from unexpected places!”

“Bringing 80s rock back with a bang! I never thought I’d hear a rock version of an Adele song, but it was fabulous! I hope these guys get the recognition they deserve.”

“You guys are even more solid and powerful than most American bands these days. You've brought back the rock spirit. Wow!"

“As an American i can say he's better than most bands out here. Who knew the American 80’s rock would be back with a vengeance, from India.”

Even judge Howie Mandel noted, "You come from the other side of the globe and do something that is so traditionally American...it was so beautiful."

"You can’t fake the reaction behind us. What we just felt behind us, [from] the audience, was real," added Simon Cowell, just before commending Girish Pradhan by saying, "Your voice is really, really good, by the way."

The band, which has been together for 16 years, previously opened for Guns N’ Roses during their Abu Dhabi show, in addition to opening for Hoobastank, Poets of the Fall, Destruction, Tessarac, and Chris Adler.

But still, they “had been dreaming of performing in America ever since we got introduced to rock-n-roll.” According to Louder Sound, the band shared that, "We had a lot of struggles, but we were also living our lives to the fullest. More than anything, we were a group of four guys without a care in the world, who just wanted to get on stage and rock."

If that’s not the absolute essence of rock, we don’t know what is.

Stay up-to-date with all things Girish and the Chronicles on their Instagram page

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The real-life love story of Maria and Georg Von Trapp we didn't see in 'The Sound of Music'

"I really and truly was not in love."

Photo credit: Public domain

Maria Von Trapp was not in love with Georg when they got married, but that changed.

The Sound of Music has been beloved for generations, partially for the music (and Julie Andrews' angelic voice), partially for the historical storyline, and partially for the love story between Maria and Georg Von Trapp. The idea of a nun-in-training softening the heart of a curmudgeonly widower, falling in love with him, and ultimately becoming a big, happy family is just an irresistible love story.

But it turns out the real love story behind their union is even more fascinating.

maria von trapp, georg von trapp, the sound of music, love story, historyMaria Von Trapp (left) was played by Julie Andrews and her husband Georg was played by Christopher Plummer in "The Sound of Music."Photo credit: Public domain

The National Archives has collected information about what's fact and what's fiction in The Sound of Music, which is based on a real family in Austria named Von Trapp. The film was generally based on the first section of Maria Von Trapp's 1949 autobiography, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, with some of the details being true and others fictionalized for a movie audience.

For instance, Maria was actually hired on as a tutor for just one of Georg's children, not as a governess for all of them. The children, whose names, ages and sexes were changed, were already musically inclined before Maria arrived. Georg was not the cold, grumpy dad he was portrayed as in the beginning of the film, but rather a warm and involved parent who enjoyed making music with his kids. Maria and Georg were married 11 years before leaving Austria, not right before the Nazi takeover. The Von Trapps left by train, not in a secret excursion over the mountains.

But perhaps the most intriguing detail? Maria was not in love with Georg at all when they got married.

gif, the sound of music, von trapp family, movie, true eventsSound Of Music Flag GIF by The Rodgers & Hammerstein OrganizationGiphy

It doesn't initially make for a great Hollywood romance, but the Von Trapp love story began with marriage for other reasons and evolved into a genuine love story. Maria wrote that she fell in love with Georg's children at first sight, but she wasn't sure about leaving her religious calling when Georg asked her to marry him. The nuns urged her to do God's will and marry him, but for Maria it was all about the children, not him. When Georg proposed, he asked her to stay with him and become a second mother to his children. "God must have made him word it that way," Maria wrote, "because if he had only asked me to marry him I might not have said yes."

"I really and truly was not in love," she wrote. "I liked him but didn't love him. However, I loved the children, so in a way I really married the children."

However, she shared that her feelings for Georg changed over time. "…[B]y and by I learned to love him more than I have ever loved before or after."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

The idea of marrying someone you don't love is antithetical to every romantic notion our society celebrates, yet the evolution of Maria's love for Georg has been a common occurrence across many cultures throughout history. Romantic love was not always the primary impetus for marriage. It was more often an economic proposition and communal arrangement that united families and peoples, formed the basis of alliances, and enabled individuals to rise through social ranks. Some cultures still practice arranged marriage, which limited research has found has outcomes identical to love-first marriage in reports of passionate love, companionate love, satisfaction, and commitment. The idea of marrying someone you don't already love is anathema to modern Western sensibilities, but the reality is that people have married over the centuries for many reasons, only one of which is falling in love.

Maria's marriage to Georg actually was about falling in love, but not with him. She loved his children and wanted to be with them. It definitely helped that she liked the guy, but she wasn't swept off her feet by him, there were no moonlit confessions of love a la "Something Good," and their happily ever after love story didn't come until much later.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Ultimately, Maria and Georg's love story was one for the ages, just not one that fits the Hollywood film trope. And it's a compelling reminder that our unwritten rules and social norms determining what love and marriage should look like aren't set in stone. Do marriages for reasons other than love always evolve into genuine love? No. Do marriages based on falling in love first always last? Also no. Should a marriage that starts with "like" and develops into to a genuine, deep love over years be considered "true love" in the way we usually think of it? Who can say? Lots to ponder over in this love story.

But Maria's description of learning "to love him more than I have ever loved before or after" is a pretty high bar, so clearly it worked for them. The Von Trapps were married for 20 years and had three more children together before Georg died of lung cancer in 1947. Maria would live another four decades and never remarried. She died in 1987 at age 82 and is buried next to Georg on the family's property in Vermont.

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4th grader who went viral for 'Defying Gravity' talent show performance wows 'Wicked' star

"I've got goosebumps."

Photo credit: Canva

4th grader wows 'Wicked' star with rendition of 'Defying Gravity'

Even if you've never seen the movie Wicked, you've heard Cynthia Erivo's rendition of the hit song, "Defying Gravity." When the first part of Wicked hit theaters in November 2024, the song quickly became the song of the season. Fans were blown away by Erivo's performance as Elphaba and her knockout vocals. Now, as the Wicked stars and fanbase celebrate the forthcoming release of part two, Wicked: For Good, one pint-sized fan decided to perform the song for her school talent show.

Ava Dargin, a fourth grader from Detroit, Michigan, went viral after her mom uploaded a video of the little girl singing "Defying Gravity" at her school talent show. It would seem Ava was channeling Cynthia Erivo, because such a big voice came from such a tiny body. To no one's surprise, the little girl won first place. Social media viewers were in awe of the little singer's talent, and so were various news outlets. It was The Today Show, thoughthat made Ava's dream come true. She got to meet the Wicked star in person before Erivo performed new music for the show's summer concert series.

@ravinlemar_ And Another One !!!!!! I’m so proud of my babygirl 💕🎶⭐️. #fyp#cynthiaerivo #daas #singing #explorepage #defyinggravity #viralvideo #talentshow ♬ original sound - Ravin Glass

It was clear that Ava was a little starstruck, as evidenced by her not really knowing what to say to the singer even when prompted with appropriate questions she could ask. She quietly smiled up at Erivo, but all the shyness went out the window when Carson Daly suggests she sing a little bit from the song. This suggestion prompted Erivo to go a bit into protective mode by saying the request was putting the young girl on the spot. But it seems that singing is where Ava feels most comfortable because it didn't take any further prompting for her to belt out a line from the song.

Such a powerful voice coming out of a child so small had everyone watching in awe, including Erivo who admits, "I've got goosebumps!" Imagine being the little girl who sings a song so well that you gave the actual singer of the song goosebumps. That had to be a surreal experience for Ava whose classmates wouldn't believe if it hadn't been recorded in front of a national audience.

People are blown away by the little girl's big voice, leaving comments of praise and admiration for the family to read. One said, "Girl. whew. I'm crying! she did so good! Bravo baby! you keep defying gravity!"

Another can't get over Ava's breath control, writing, "The control she has over her oxygen, and vocals is crazy at her age!!!!"

"Girl she has me BAWLING like I’m watching Cynthia Erivo herself… she’s FABULOUS!!!" someone says.

"Just saw her on someone’s page. She is absolutely talented!! Her voice is so amazing and strong! I just know u cried! lol she’s a star. I hope Cynthia sees this," another person chimes in.

"The stage presence isn't being talked about enough bc aside from that beautiful talent she is very composed and uses her facial expressions perfectly. She needs to be on a stage or set," one person admires.

"She is clearly such a sweet girl! I've never been more proud of a complete stranger. you go girl! following and cheering you on from Toledo OH sis," someone else says.

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Garage door falls on truck, forcing single mom to give 9-yr-old an impromptu driving lesson

You never know where parenting is going to take you.

Photo credit: Canva

Bet this was not on her bingo card for the day.

Parenting often means using whatever resources you’ve got around you—and that goes double for single moms and dads. For a Tennessee-based single mom named Taylor, being resourceful meant giving her nine-year-old daughter Sophie an impromptu driving lesson.

From a clip posted to Taylor’s TikTok, we can deduce that she had been pulling her truck out from the garage at 6 a.m. when the garage door FELL ONTO THE CAR (how’s that for new nightmare fuel?). Luckily, the rails on top of the truck protected it and the passengers from any blows, but it was nonetheless stuck.

Having no one to come help in time, Taylor taught Sophie how to reverse the car while she stood on her tip toes to hold up the door, and her younger child recorded the whole thing.

@taylorctn423 BEING A SINGLE MOM IS NOT FOR THE WEAK! This morning my garage door came down on my truck. My dad is 5hrs away and I had nobody but myself and my girls. So what did I do? I taught my 9yo how to back up my truck while I held the garage door up. Thank goodness my truck has the rails on top or it could’ve been worse. My days are never boring. On a side note.. I need a new garage door. Where are my garage contractors at? #redvelvet #ginga #girlmom #singlemom ♬ Thunderstruck - AC/DC

While the video has AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" overshadowing any conversation, Taylor recalled her instruction in an interview with Newsweek:

"I told her, 'Your left foot is useless, leave it to the side. Put your right foot on the brake and ease your foot off when I tell you to.'” she said. "Once I got the garage lifted off my truck I said, 'OK, now gently ease your foot off the brake. Easy. Now brake!'"

Honestly, that’s solid advice right there.

The video quickly racked up 7.5 million views and tons of praise for the way Taylor handled the less-than-ideal situation. Not to mention there were quite a few folks who recognized how cool this moment must have been for Sophie.

"Strong women raising strong women"

"With a sundress and tiptoes?! You win the day.”

“You kid waited their whole life for this moment.”

“Oh I just know her lunchtime debrief with her friends is going to be amazing.”

“It will be a core memory for her life”

“You- irritated, overstimulated, annoyed, etc. Your 9yo- OMG THIS WAS SO COOL. Your younger one recording- mom can I do it next time.”

Thanks to multiple requests, Taylor did end up sharing another video, this time without the background music, so that the entire conversation could be witnessed. Let’s just say it paints a very different picture.

@taylorctn423 Replying to @Starbinder the highly requested video without the audio😅 Our 6yo camera girl was supportive towards the end #singlemom #girlmom #trending #garage #ford #girlmom ♬ original sound - Taylor

“Okay, without the music, I can feel mama’s stress,” one person wrote. And they’re not wrong. What the first clip didn’t depict is Taylor having to navigate this while her little one is screaming with anxiety. Fun times. But on the flip side, we get to hear the younger child being very proud of her big sis. So there's that.

As one person quipped, “camera girl was going through so many emotions.”

@taylorctn423 Replying to @Lv2Laf 🤗🇺🇸 my 6yo who took the video! I have been reading the comments to the girls are they are so excited about all of it! #singlemom #girlmom #trending #garage #ford #ginga #redvelvet #ginger #daughter #redhead #taylorswift ♬ NO MUSIC - Sok Baraby

In her video's caption, Taylor wrote, “BEING A SINGLE MOM IS NOT FOR THE WEAK,” and if this video is any indication, truer words were never written. But she’s doing a great job at raising two more strong gals, just like her.

And in case anyone is wondering—Taylor's dad, who lives six hours away and couldn’t help with the emergency promptly at the time, will be replacing that faulty garage door. Huzzah.

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