A work-from-home mom from Oregon, Emily Mesa, has created a unique birthday tradition for her two sons, Leon and Jones. Instead of hosting elaborate parties, Mesa decided to conduct on-camera birthday interviews with her children. The idea came to her on Leon’s fourth birthday, and she found it to be a special way to capture memories of who her son was at each stage of his life. Mesa asked questions that would excite her son, like his favorite superhero, and was delighted by Leon’s genuine and energetic responses during the interview.
Mesa’s birthday interview idea has garnered unexpected attention on social media, with one video of Leon’s interview receiving over 27.9 million views on Instagram. The response from viewers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their desire to start conducting similar interviews with their own children. Mesa has found joy in reading comments from other mothers who plan to adopt this tradition for their own families. She believes that the viral success of the videos can be attributed to the personal and relatable nature of the content, as it resonates with parents who want to create lasting memories with their children.
The questions Mesa asks during the birthday interviews vary from fun and lighthearted, such as favorite superheroes, to more heartfelt, like what the child loves about their sibling. By choosing questions that elicit genuine and spontaneous responses, Mesa aims to capture the essence of her children without putting pressure on them to perform. As the tradition continues, Mesa plans to reuse certain questions in future videos to track her children’s growth and development over the years. She looks forward to compiling the footage into a comprehensive collection that showcases the evolution of her sons as they age.
Mesa and her husband, Andrew, have found the birthday interviews to be a meaningful way to document their children’s personalities and interests as they celebrate each milestone. The couple enjoyed seeing Leon’s excitement and energy during his interview, as he ran around the room answering questions with enthusiasm. Mesa believes that the interviews will provide a valuable archive of memories that they can look back on in the years to come. She sees the interviews as a way to remember who her children were at different stages of their lives, capturing their unique traits and expressions in a simple yet powerful format.
As Mesa’s birthday interview tradition gains momentum on social media, she anticipates that more parents will be inspired to adopt this practice for their own families. The heartfelt and authentic nature of the videos has resonated with viewers, who appreciate the opportunity to create lasting memories with their children. Mesa hopes that the interviews will serve as a touching reminder of the joy and innocence of childhood, allowing families to cherish and celebrate the unique qualities of each child as they grow. By embracing this heartfelt tradition, Mesa aims to create a timeless tribute to her children’s experiences and personalities that they can treasure for years to come.
