“Her Self-Esteem”: Mum in South Korea Shows How She Is Normalising Being a Foreigner for Her Child

• A South African mother in South Korea shared a touching video of how she helps her young daughter grow up as a foreigner in an Asian country
• Her daughter turned six and was spotted by locals staring at her while eating ice cream
• People across social media were moved by the mother's approach, with many praising her for raising a confident child in a country where they look different

Some parenting moments hit differently when you watch them from the outside. @mfundo_momo, a South African woman living and teaching in South Korea, posted a video on 18 February 2026 that had people stopping to watch twice. She was out celebrating her daughter's sixth birthday at an ice cream shop when Korean passersby stopped and stared at her little girl. Her daughter happily licked her ice cream, completely unbothered. This seems to be a common issue they face in the country, and the young mum explained:

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"Building her self-esteem is very important, especially because she looks different in almost every room she enters."

In South Korea, people who look visibly different often attract a lot of attention in public spaces. For a young child still figuring out who she is and where she fits in the world, growing up in that environment comes with its own set of challenges that most South African kids will never face.

The mother has been intentional about making sure her daughter grows up with strong self-esteem before she is old enough to understand why people stare. Rather than making it a heavy conversation, she lets her daughter hold onto the idea that the attention is because she is beautiful. It is a gentle and clever way of protecting a child's confidence at an age when the world can already feel overwhelming enough.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA praises mum's approach

The comments section on TikToker @mfundo_momo's clip was full of warmth:

@whiteheart wrote:

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"She is so stunning, she already has fans. Oh, what a queen."

@Nettie said:

"Well, she ain't wrong."

@Lyn added:

"Do what you can, Mum. She already looks unfazed by it all."

@Ary said:

"Oh my goodness, my friend and I saw you guys in Busan last weekend. She is such a gorgeous little lady."

@Zamangwane Ndaba wrote:

"And I like her mentality for that."

@sma.1020 asked:

"Can you please share some info on moving abroad with a child? I want to move."

More on South Africans living and thriving abroad

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African woman living in South Korea who compared the minimum wage between the two countries.
• A Zulu man in the US hit a major milestone and shared the moment online, with strangers from all over the world celebrating with him.
• A South African woman doing her master's in Ireland said students who survived a South African university would find studying abroad surprisingly easy.

Source: Briefly News