A 6-year-old girl had an extreme reaction to being told to go to her room by her mom: she moved out.
Elizabeth Russo shared footage to her TikTok, @eliizabeth.maryy, of the moment her daughter Paisley headed off across the street with an assortment of her belongings to “find a new family.”
“It started when I asked her to stop playing and come sit down for dinner,” Russo told Newsweek. “She refused and wanted to continue her preferred activity, so I told her if she didn’t want to eat, she could go have some quiet time in her room until she was ready. That’s when she packed her bags and announced she was ‘going to find another family that will let me do whatever I want!'”
Though Paisley’s reaction might have seemed a touch extreme to some, it was nothing out of the ordinary to Russo. Paisley is autistic, and the family recently upped sticks and moved to the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina.
“It’s been a time of big transitions for everyone,” Russo said. “She’s autistic and navigating a lot of big emotions right now, but she’s also incredibly bright, funny, and expressive.”
Studies have shown autistic children often struggle with change and the uncertainty it brings. In 2004, a study published in the journal Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities concluded that autistic children were more likely to participate in novel social events when they knew what to expect before.
Russo said emotions can often “build up” throughout the day, leading to situations like this. “She may have been overstimulated at school or had a moment earlier in the day that threw her off, and, by evening, something seemingly small can feel huge,” she added.
Russo also said Paisley has a flair for the dramatic but “in the best way.” “She’s imaginative, expressive, and loves putting on a show,” she added. “This was the first time she’s ever ‘run away’ like that, but she is an elopement risk—when she’s dysregulated, her nervous system can go into fight-or-flight mode quickly. With a recent move to a new house and school, it’s been a season of big transitions for her.”
Though Paisley’s behavior can be challenging, Russo said that wouldn’t change anything about being her mom. “Parenting her has taught me so much about patience, flexibility and the beauty of seeing the world through a different lens,” she added.
So when Paisley did decide to elope, Russo was able to see the funny side and hit record on her camera phone, capturing the dramatic exit in full.
“When she marched off with her bags, I had a feeling it would be one of those memorable moments you look back on and laugh about later,” Russo said. “I honestly didn’t think she would go far, but then she started marching straight across the street toward the neighbor’s house.”
Even so, Russo did eventually stop recording and chased after Paisley, having realized she was “serious” about finding another family. “She has no fear or social anxiety and absolutely would have knocked on their door if I hadn’t intervened first,” Russo said. “We just moved into the neighborhood and hadn’t even introduced ourselves yet—I wasn’t ready for that to be our first impression!”
Though it took Paisley a little while to calm down after what happened, soon enough it was like “it had never happened.” She even got her to sit down and eat her dinner after all of that.
Ultimately, Russo ended up sharing the video as a reminder that “sometimes parenting is just pure chaos and all you can do is laugh through it.”
“The overwhelming response from other parents and adults saying, ‘My kid did the same thing!’ or ‘This was me as a child!’ really showed how relatable it was,” Russo said.
“It’s comforting to know we’re not alone in the wild moments of raising kids, and if this video gave someone a moment of joy or a sense of connection, then that’s more than I could’ve hoped for.”
TikTok/eliizabeth.maryy