Dylan Dreyer Shares Her Kids’ Wholesome Responses to ‘Toxic Parenting Phrases’

Dylan Dreyer was recently delighted by her kids’ reactions to some controversial quotes.

The Today meteorologists began the Thursday, May 14, episode of her The Parent Chat podcast by playing a clip of her three sons finishing “toxic parenting phrases,” the first of which was, Kids should be seen and not heard.”

After Dreyer began by stating, “Kids should be seen…” her eldest son, Calvin, replied, “At the park.” Her middle child, Oliver, stated, “In the woods.”

The second quote Dreyer tested was “I love you, but I don’t like you.” After she stated, “I love you, but…” Oliver finished the phrase by saying, “I have to do work.”

For the final quote, Dreyer tested “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it.” Stating, “I brought you into this world…” her youngest son, Rusty, stated, “To do something.” Calvin’s response touched her heart, as he answered the phrase by saying, “So you would feel nice.”

After the clip, Dreyer gushed, “I just love the innocence of my children. This is actually a TikTok trend we’ve been seeing for quite some time now, where parents ask their kids to finish these sentences, and their answers are so heartfelt.”

 

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She continued, “But I can think back to when my mom or dad or grandparents or someone would finish these sentences in the not-so-nice way. I mean, think about it. The way we were raised unconsciously impacts how we parent our kids.”

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Dreyer shares her three sons with her estranged husband, Brian Fichera. She announced the pair’s separation in July 2025 and officially filed for divorce in March. Breaking down childhood patterns that parents pass to their kids was the topic of Dreyer’s podcast discussion with clinical psychologist and author of The Conscious Parent, Dr. Shefali Tsabary.

Dreyer shared a clip of her kids’ controversial parenting quote reactions via Instagram on Thursday, writing, “Oh man, the innocence of my kids melts my heart! What a different world they grow up in nowadays and I love their joy and happiness every day! Be sure to check out The Parent Chat on @youtube or wherever you get your podcasts for my latest discussion!”

Fans gushed over Dreyer’s adorable kids in the post’s comments. “Just goes to show you always speak kind words to your boys,” one person wrote. Another added, “Your boys are adorable and you are such a great Mom!!!!!”

Someone else shared, “Love their answers. Your boys are so cute.” A different person posted, “Sweetest boys with the best mama!!!” A separate commenter stated, “I love this. Do more of these. Makes my heart melt. You’re such a good mommy.”

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