Few things are more unsettling for a parent than seeing their child terrified—and not being able to make it stop.
That’s exactly what TikTok user Candace Dior (@theecandacedior) and her family are grappling with.
In her viral video, which has garnered over 3.4 million views, she shares her 3-year-old son’s encounters with a “monster” that won’t leave him alone. Now, she’s turning to TikTok for advice, admitting she’s spooked and at a complete loss for what to do next.
How it all started
Dior explains that a few weeks ago while putting her son to bed, he suddenly asked her: “Mommy, can you make the monster go?”
At first, she brushed it off. “I was like, ‘Baby, there is no monster in here,’” she recalls.
But her son insisted there was, even pointing to a corner of the room. So, Dior played along.
“I turned around and looked in the corner and said, ‘Monster, you need to leave,’” she says.
However, that didn’t work. “He was just like, ‘But Mommy, can you make the monster go?’”
The boy eventually asked for his dad to come “kick the monster out.” Dior’s husband came into the room, pretended to chase the monster away, and even threatened to “beat it up” to make their son feel safe.
That seemed to calm him down—but only for a while.
The monster isn’t going away
The next morning, Dior walked into her son’s room and found him completely under the covers, something she says he’s never done before.
“That’s when I knew—my baby is scared,” she says.
Since then, she says he’s been acting differently.
“He’s been closing closet doors, shutting my bedroom door if it’s dark in the hallway. He’s on edge,” Dior explains.
Then, a few nights later, things escalated. Dior and her husband were in bed upstairs while their son and middle daughter were downstairs. Suddenly, the toddler sprinted up the stairs, shaking and terrified.
“Mommy, the monster won’t stop looking at me,” he told her.
At that point, Dior didn’t know what to say.
“I said, ‘Baby, remember, there’s no monster. We made the monster go.’”
But her son wouldn’t budge.
“No, he’s downstairs,” he insisted.
When Dior asked what it was doing, his response made her heart drop.
“He keeps looking at me.”
‘I believe him’
After that, her son tucked himself under his dad’s blanket and refused to move.
That’s when Dior realized—this wasn’t just a bad dream.
“I’ve heard things with my own ears. I’ve seen things with my own eyes,” she says. “Anyone who knows me knows my mom’s house has some freaky [expletive] going on. Paranormal, extraterrestrial [expletive].”
Dior says she’s been praying nonstop, trying not to panic. But she’s not sure what to do next.
“I don’t know what type of energy this thing is, but I know certain spirits feed off fear,” she says.
So, she’s been telling her son not to be afraid—but at the same time, she doesn’t want him to engage with it either.
“I really don’t know what to do,” she concludes.
What to do if your child says they see a monster, according to experts
Psychologists seem to agree many kids go through a “monster phase”—usually around age 3 to 9, when their imagination starts running wild.
According to child therapist Jen Burke, who spoke to PureWow, this is when kids begin to distinguish between fantasy and reality, which can lead to fears of the dark, shadows, or things lurking under the bed.
If your kid is suddenly terrified of a “monster” in their room, Burke says the worst thing you can do is laugh it off or dismiss it.
No matter what the parent believes at that moment, the fear is very real to a child. Instead of saying, “There’s no such thing as monsters”, the therapist suggests trying to validate their feelings—something like, “It must feel really scary to think there’s a monster in your room.”
Another tip is to make the monster less scary. Burke suggests turning it into something silly—ask your child to draw the monster, imagine it roller skating or falling off a surfboard, or even pretend they’re a superhero defeating it.
If the fear is disrupting their sleep, Burke recommends building a calming bedtime routine—things like a nightlight, a favorite stuffed animal, relaxing music, or deep breathing before bed can all help a child feel safe and secure.
Commenters share theories and alternative solutions
In the comments, users shared several theories on what the child might be seeing. They also gave Dior some advice on how to handle the situation.
“it’s called Loosh,” theorized one user, referencing the supposed energy humans produce when they’re scared—something other entities supposedly feed on. “that’s all imma say, look into it.”
“The hat man stalked me for years when i was 10,” shared another. “I believe him.”
The Hat Man is a well-known shadowy figure that many people around the world claim to have seen, often described as a type of “shadow person.”
“My grandmother use to open the bible to Psalm 23, read it and place it under the pillow,” shared a third. “Psalm 91 for protection. pray against monitoring Spirits. Get deep with those prayers. engage the family.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dior via email for more information.
@theecandacedior I’m spooked y’all fr 😳 #paranormal #monster #imscared ♬ original sound – CandaceDior
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