Cute or cruel? Naomi Neo pulls another prank on 4-year-old son, leaving him in tears

Local influencer Naomi Neo's parenting methods are under the spotlight once again.

This time around, it's regarding a prank she pulled on her 4-year-old son Kyzo just before their family vacation to Australia.

The young boy was understandably excited about the trip but his mum decided to first throw a spanner in the works.

Kyzo's world came crashing down when Naomi told him that all the plane tickets were purchased bar his.

What was potentially even more terrifying was his mum's suggesting that he'd have to take care of the home while the family is away in Australia. 

Naomi's TikTok video was posted on Thursday (Sept 8) and has attracted over 1.9 million views in under a day.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@naomineo/video/7140951086453574913[/embed]

The prank began with Naomi, 26, sitting Kyzo down for a one-on-one talk, and his excitement level took a nosedive as he seemingly sensed the incoming bad news.

Naomi's first words couldn't have helped Kyzo's initial feeling of trepidation. 

"Can you promise me that you won't be sad?"

Naomi continued with the script, telling her son that his flight ticket had been "missed out" by accident.

Unsurprisingly, Kyzo's lips began to quiver as he tried his best to fight back the tears.

He begged his mum to find a solution, suggesting that he could sit on her lap while on the plane or that she call off the trip and stay with him in Singapore.

When Kyzo told his mum to "throw away" her plane tickets, Naomi must've been taken aback as she laughed for a quick second, almost breaking character.

Kyzo wasn't deterred and continuously mentioned how much he would miss his mum if he were to be left behind.

She suggested that he could fly alone on a different day, but with his fear of heights, this idea did not sit well with Kyzo.

In the comments section, netizens were generally split into two camps. The first found Naomi's video extremely cute and sweet while the second saw this as a child going through a traumatic experience.

"Thank you for playing your role till the end," one netizen commented, adding a couple of laughing emojis for good measure.

Others felt this experience could potentially have a lasting impact on Kyzo.

This isn't the first time netizens have asked where the line should be drawn when it comes to pranking one's children.

Just last month, Naomi posted a clip where she and her husband pulled a ghost prank on Kyzo, causing him to go into a frenzied crying fit.

It wasn't revealed how — or if — Naomi eventually told her son that he did indeed have a plane ticket and would soon be on vacation with the entire family.

Kyzo's final suggestion was to plant himself in the family's luggage in a last-ditch effort to avoid being left behind in Singapore.

At least Naomi now has more evidence that her kid is a quick problem solver in moments of stress.

ALSO READ: 'Is it I not enough?' Naomi Neo's toddler vehemently rejects idea of another younger sibling

amierul@asiaone.com