People are loving this mom-to-be's list of 'rules' when meeting her baby
Maisie Crompton thought she might 'upset' people with her viral video, but folks were overwhelmingly supportive.

Her baby. Her rules.
Twenty-year-old Maisie Crompton is expecting her first child. She’s also expecting you to follow her eight simple rules for meeting the baby after it’s born.
Crompton’s now-viral TikTok video has received a ton of attention online, amassing more than 600,000 views, along with a ton of comments from fellow parents who find her perspective very relatable.
Some of these rules might seem like common courtesy, but even the most well-intentioned might unknowingly break them. Hence why it’s beneficial to establish firm, clear boundaries early on. Even if that means potentially upsetting people, which Crompton fully expected to do.The rules are as follows:
@maisie_crompton Seen so many of these videos… here’s my “rules for when I have a baby” ✍🏻👶🏻#pregnancyjourney #rulesformybaby #trending #mumsunder21 ♬ original sound - Maisie
1. Please don't kiss the baby.
Look, babies are very kissable. But particularly in a COVID-19 reality, it’s easy to see how distressing an unwarranted smooch might be.
Pandemic notwithstanding, one poorly timed peck could mean terrible consequences. “A friend I went to school with had horrendous regular cold sores all of her life because someone kissed her (with a cold sore) as a baby!!” one person commented.
2. No unannounced visitors, for the first few days we want it just to be us.
As Crompton joked, “I really don’t think I’m gonna be up for socializing when a baby has literally just come out of me."
3. Don't announce our baby has arrived until we do (on social media or in person).
Cause no one likes spoilers.
4. No photos posted of the baby until we do.
Even though we live in an age of knee-jerk posting, privacy still is a right. Some parents might not dig their newborn’s face being plastered all over the internet.
5. Do not come if you're sick.
Just … don’t.
6. Wash your hands before holding them.
“Their immune system is probably not gonna be the best, and you’ve probably touched loads of stuff,” Crompton added.
7. Do not ask to see the baby if you haven't checked up on me during the pregnancy.
Also kind of a goes-without-saying kind of thing.
8. If our baby cries please hand them back to me or their dad.
“I do not wanna watch my baby cry from a distance,” said Crompton.
Crompton’s list was met with some skepticism from others, who doubted whether or not people would actually adhere to her commands.
One commenter even warned that “people might be scared to come near/see the baby eventually so you will miss out on memories made and baby bonding with wider family.”
But for the most part, people were incredibly supportive of her rules. Here are just a few positive comments:
"A massive YES to all of them."
"Nothing unreasonable at all there."
"Normalise following boundaries that parents set for being around their newborns. It’s just respect!"
“Honestly as a visiting guest I would feel so much more comfortable being handed this list so I can make sure I'm making the mum most comfortable."
Having a baby is a beautiful life-changing event. But it’s certainly not without its inherent stresses. There’s nothing wrong with setting limits to make things flow a little more smoothly. Here’s hoping that Maisie—and other parents—find some order in the lovely chaos of parenthood.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.