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Retired Pediatrician and Grandmother Goes Viral for Parenting Advice

Photo from Flo Rosen’s TikTok

Retired Pediatrician and Grandmother Goes Viral for Parenting Advice

By Movieguide® Contributor

Retired pediatrician-turned-grandparent Flo Rosen has gone viral on TikTok for her advice videos and parenting tips.

Rosen first found fame when she reacted to her grandson Trent rolling over during his first tummy time at eight days old. The video has hit nearly 6 million views since it was posted to TikTok in July.

“Trent was 8 days old and I was showing my son and daughter-in-law…demonstrating the positioning to encourage tummy time,” Rosen told Good Morning America. “I put Trent down on his tummy and he looked at me and rolled over. I was absolutely astounded.”

“I was so incredibly shocked that he did this,” she said previously. “I was just truly flabbergasted. So [daughter-in-law] Dalia decided to post this video.”

The retired pediatrician explained that she was shocked because that behavior normally doesn’t occur until a baby is three months old. The attention that Rosen’s response drew encouraged her to launch a project that she had been dreaming of for years.

“I always thought someday, when I retire, I’d love an advice column…and grandparents can ask the questions that they can’t ask their kids and that they don’t have access to a pediatrician to ask,” Rosen explained.

Rather than a column, however, Rosen launched a TikTok account called “Ask Bubbie,” where she lives out her dream. Before retiring, Rosen had been a pediatrician for 42 years and received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Many of the questions she addresses come from the difference in parenting between today’s parents and those of earlier generations.

“There’s still a huge group [of grandparents] out there, [who say] ‘You turned out fine.’ And a lot of responses on the part of the parents are that, ‘No, we didn’t turn out fine. And we want our kids to turn out better,’” Rosen said. “So, I think  that really trying to educate the grandparents on why things have changed [is key] and the underlying reason is almost always safety.”

Rosen’s videos, however, are great resources for parents as well, as many of her videos cover the basics of parenting. While these skills would have traditionally been learned through parenting books, most millennial parents turn to social media to learn rather than books.

“The younger generation really turns towards something visual on social media to get educated, and TikTok and Instagram have certainly replaced the old Penelope Leach book or whatever book somebody in my generation used,” Rosen explained.

“I think this parenting generations is looking to social media for answers, not to books, and there’s aren’t a whole lot of responsible, reliable, correct sources for them. So, I think that if I can provide that, then I’m really happy I’m doing that in my retirement,” she added.

Rosen’s most popular videos include “how to burp your baby,” “why tummy time is important,” “new study on the effects of screen time,” and “a message to my fellow grandparents.”

Despite Rosen’s success, she is just thankful to be a grandmother. 

“The best part of being a grandmother is the snuggles — there’s nothing better! I always loved holding my patients and watching them grow, so there’s really nothing surprising about being a grandmother. But it’s very special when it’s your own!” she shared.


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