Mom Captures Moment Her 5-Year-Old Daughter with Social Anxiety Sees Her at Birthday Party (Exclusive)
Mom Captures Moment Her 5-Year-Old Daughter with Social Anxiety Sees Her at Birthday Party (Exclusive)
Nicki Cox, Sara BelcherSun, April 26, 2026 at 8:29 AM UTC
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Maygen Steed's daughter, PaisleyCredit: Courtesy of Maygen Steed -
Maygen Steed shares how her daughter Paisley's social anxiety developed after her type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 2
The mother of one went viral after posting a video comforting Paisley during her birthday party when she began to feel overwhelmed
Maygen encourages Paisley to try new things while respecting her boundaries and creating a safe, supportive environment
For young kids, birthday parties often mean presents, sweet treats and fun games — but they also come with a lot of attention, which can be overwhelming no matter their age.
When 5-year-old Paisley Steed stood beside her birthday cake as her friends and family sang "Happy Birthday," she looked into the crowd for a source of comfort — and quickly found it in her mother, Maygen Steed.
Steed captured the moment on camera and later posted it to TikTok, captioned, "My sweet girl who struggles with social anxiety having a moment at her party. Locking eyes with mama because everyone singing was too much & I am her safe space."
The video went viral, amassing nearly 1 million views, and now Maygen talks to PEOPLE about how she has learned to help her daughter in moments Paisley feels most anxious.
Maygen says Paisley has struggled with anxiety ever since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 2 years old.
"She really started showing signs of anxiety in social situations when she began wearing her devices, such as her Dexcom and Omnipod," the 30-year-old shares. "Kids her age were naturally curious and would touch them or stare, which made her uncomfortable and self-conscious."
"It's amazing that my child can be incredibly outgoing in small groups of people, but when there are more than seven to 10 people — even family she has known her whole life — she gets very shy and doesn't want eyes on her."
Maygen Steed with her daughter, PaisleyCredit: Courtesy of Maygen Steed
Maygen notes that Paisley has done three years of Pre-K "at a small school and has never once gotten up on stage to get her diploma."
"Last year she cried and refused to go on stage, so the award was just handed to her after," she says. "I did not shame her for this and told her it's okay to feel that way and that she still deserved her award."
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While last Christmas Paisley was "so excited" to be part of the holiday program and "worked so hard" to memorize the songs, Maygen says she made it "through the first song before her little face crumbled and she began to cry."
"I ran up to the stage and grabbed her. You could see it on her face when she realized how many people were there and when it made her feel too overwhelmed," the mother of one, who works as a special education teacher in Paris, Texas, shares.
Paisley Steed on EasterCredit: Courtesy of Maygen Steed
Maygen, who also struggles with anxiety and anxiety-induced OCD, notes that she doesn't "talk about anxiety in front of [Paisley]," instead referring to it as "nervousness."
"I make sure that she can communicate with me what is making her feel this way. Instead of pushing her to do something she isn't ready for, I encourage her in different ways," she shares.
While she notes that one day Paisley may "outgrow the social anxiety she feels," until then, Maygen will "continue to encourage her to try but not shame her if she still doesn't want to do things out of her comfort zone" — and she hopes other parents will do the same.
Although Paisley loves sports, she doesn't love the spotlight that comes with being on the baseball diamond or basketball court, so Maygen has "found other ways for her to be involved in things without being front and center," such as gymnastics and golf.
"When she gets nervous at the tee box or on the green, she communicates to us, and we just turn around so we aren't looking at her. Then she crushes it!"
While Maygen continues to find ways to push Paisley to try new things, she knows the elementary schooler "may never outgrow" her social anxiety, and "that is okay."
"I want to encourage her as much as I can so that she feels safe. If boundaries are what she needs, then I will accommodate her," the mother of one tells PEOPLE. "If she doesn't want everyone singing to her or if she does want it and then it becomes too overwhelming, like in the TikTok video, I'd do exactly what I did in the video and reassure her that I have her and she is safe."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
