OUR FAMILY PLEDGE Most TikTokers use the platform to gain followers and hopefully make posts go viral. But for Australian mum of three Emmaline Carroll Southwell, TikTok was more likely was just a way to fill in endless days of lockdown with her kids! But a poem about their family values, recited on camera by Emmaline and her three kids, has attracted 4.5 million views worldwide and has now been made into a picture book, the first book deal in Australia to arise from a single video on the social media platform! Emmaline’s hugely popular TikToks have been entertaining families during lockdown, with content such as her four-year-old son Levi’s surprisingly logical explanation of why he believes Jesus was bisexual and non-binary (12M views), and the popular ‘ask Levi’ videos in which the delightfully perceptive Levi answers questions from his fans on everything from the Black Lives Matter movement to how you know you’ve found the one. Tells us a bit about your little family! I’ve been married to Kenny since 2007 and together we have 3 children; Harper (11) who’s gentle, intelligent and sweet, Levi (5) who is wild and challenging, but also so compassionate and insightful, and finally our darling little miss Violet, our sassy 3-year-old who is slowing taking over the house. How did you get into making TikTok videos? I downloaded TikTok during the March lockdown of 2020. I thought it seemed like a bit of fun and a great way to pass the time as well as do some lip-sync videos and post my COVID art that I had been doing (large floor murals using bits and pieces from around the home that also feature my children). That organically evolved into what we refer to as #asklevi (videos with my then 4-yearold son). People would send in all different questions for Levi to answer such as “How do I know if I’m in love?”, “How do I get my kids to eat more veggies?”, “What are your thoughts on LGBTQ+?”, and (thankfully) “What is your favourite quote?”, to which Levi answered “A good rabbit never gives up, from Peter Rabbit, and our Family one” (referring to Our Family Mission Statement, a little poem I wrote for my family that focuses on the universal themes of compassion, tolerance, and love). We then posted Our Family Mission statement on the 31st of August… and here we are.
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Levi talks about some ‘big issues’ on TikTok. How do you initially approach these conversations with your kids? Well most of our ‘big issue’ conversations are initiated by them just asking questions. I try to always answer as best I can and with ageappropriate detail. Sometimes however when big events are happening around the world, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, or what’s been happening in Afghanistan, or even the new Texas abortion laws, it prompts me to initiate discussions with them. Obviously, the conversations are tailored to each child, and I’m selective with what I think would be appropriate for them to hear and comprehend. For example, I didn’t discuss the current Texas abortion laws with them specifically, but rather it prompted me to revisit our conversations on women’s rights, consent, and the ethos of my body, my choice. What were your thoughts when the Family Pledge poem video went viral? I was absolutely overwhelmed! At the time of posting that video I was six months into our first lockdown and really struggling. The night before I posted it, I had an epic Mummy meltdown (on my own in the car), it was my lockdown misery crescendo! I felt so incredibly defeated and deflated. The next day however I posted our Family Mission Statement video and what came back was so much support and love and reassurance that I was a great parent.
