Parents Unprepared for What 5-Year-Old Daughter Does at Family Photo Shoot

The moment a 5-year-old stole the show during her family holiday photo shoot has gone viral on Instagram. Racking up more than 10 million views, the clip shared on an account dedicated to the Mckee family (@themckeeworld) has left internet viewers in awe. Newsweek spoke to dad Harry, 39, about the video, which shows his daughter Elsie striking various poses and even using a rocking horse and presents as props. “I was floored,” Harry said. “I am still trying to understand how and where those poses came from as Elsie has never seen a modeling TV show and has never been on social media, so the thought that she naturally moves like that was and still is mind-blowing to me.” Two screenshots from the viral video showing the family posing. Daughter Elsie appeared to be a natural in front of the camera. Two screenshots from the viral video showing the family posing. Daughter Elsie appeared to be a natural in front of the camera. Instagram/@themckeeworld It is clear that the kindergartner is far from shy, and some might say she was born to be on stage or in front of a camera. However, babies aren’t born with confidence—it is a learned behavior. Newborns and very young babies haven’t developed self-esteem yet because they don’t see themselves as separate individuals, according to raisingchildren.net.au. The website, which provides family advice, says that parents play a key role in nurturing their child’s self-esteem and helping them appreciate their efforts and accomplishments. A child’s self-esteem can improve by allowing them to explore and figure out who they are. As they reach school-age, children often compare themselves to their friends and classmates. At this stage, self-esteem is influenced by factors such as academic performance, appearance, athletic abilities, and ease of making friends. Challenges at school can sometimes impact a child’s self-esteem, especially if they begin to feel less capable than their peers. However, these experiences teach them an important lesson: they don’t need to excel at everything to be loved, valued, and confident in themselves. Harry told Newsweek that Elsie has yet to say what she wants to be when she grows up, but they have no doubt it will be something creative. He said: “Elsie hasn’t given us a particular field just yet. She has so many talents, and we’re just trying to nurture them all until she chooses one to stick with. “That’s why we posted that video—to hopefully find some help nurturing her modeling talent.” So far, the December 21 video, captioned, “She knew who she was before we did … OMG [oh my God] this girl is HER,” has garnered more than 522,000 likes and over 4,000 comments. One user posted: “She’s gonna be the 1st to go solo.” Another commented, “At this point y’all need to just get off the set and let her really lock in!” referring to her mom, Maya, 35, and two little sisters. “Vogue is calling!” wrote a third commenter, while a fourth added: “Listen y’all put her in that dress and she showed up and showed out.” Indeed, Elsie is passionate about her wardrobe and refuses to wear anything but a princess dress while at home, her father said. He added: “When she does leave the house, she always has to pick her outfit, and she’s very good at it. That was our first sign that she has a talent for fashion.” If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.