NJ mom shares her genius 'zero money' trick to keep toddlers engaged without spending a cent

Keeping a toddler occupied is not just a tricky task but sometimes parents have to spend money on toys and other forms of entertainment to do so. But it seems like a mom on TikTok has found a "zero money" alternative for this task. Caitlin French, mother to a 19-month-old baby named Cyrus, has gone viral for sharing how to use arcades to entertain toddlers, without spending money. 

Better Parenting and Money Management

French, a resident of coastal Ocean City in New Jersey, told Newsweek that keeping her child busy is a daily task for her. She shared that Cyrus is up each morning at 6 a.m., and usually, she takes him to the park, the playground, or for a walk on the boardwalk to drain his energy out. However, one fine day, the French discovered a café attached to an arcade and decided to take a look. This was when she came across the "zero money" hack which she shared on her TikTok page @caitlin.emmaline. 

In the video, she encouraged fellow moms to take their toddlers to the arcade. She said that her kid was having a great time at the gaming zone even though it wasn't going to open for the next few hours. She said that Cyrus, who can be seen sitting in a car at one of the machines, has no idea what he is doing but he is having fun turning the steering wheel, watching the flashing lights, and pushing the same buttons. She then explained that she didn't spend any money on the trip to the arcade, and they successfully killed a lot of time. Apart from a $5 coffee for the mom, arcades for toddlers are essentially free.

Several moms in the comments lauded French for her ingenious idea. "Lol I do this and my friends are like “you’re not going to put any money in for them?” Mm no. They’re clearly already winning—why ruin it!?" @prairielandmyo wrote. "my dad used to take me with him to bass pro shop to pet all the taxidermy animals," @oliviautumn222 added.

But some warned French that the day Cyrus realized he could play the games by paying money, it would all be over for her. "Once my son realized the card swipe worked we used my license that bought me another 6 months," suggested @anakinsmom1. 

However, French told Newsweek, that paying for the games doesn't work for her kid. She said on a previous visit, she put a coin in the car, to let Cyrus play, but he "freaked out" and instantly ran away as soon as it started moving. She then paid for him to shoot water at ducks but he was quickly bored and ran away from that too. One of the viewers @scxrylynas found this relatable and wrote, "If you spent money you’d just get frustrated trying to teach him how to play and it won’t be fun for anyone. Just know I think you’re a genius."

Some users warned her about the potential ill effects of going to the arcade. "It’s all fun and games until you come home with the stomach flu. This is not trauma speaking whatsoever," @kelseyfoster514 wrote. 

For more toddler tips and interesting videos, follow Caitlin French, and @caitlin.emmaline on TikTok.