“Mom Goes to the Circus”: Grade 1 Learners Hilariously Misread What Their Moms Do for a Living
- Grade 1 learners from Sacred Hearts College hilariously try to figure out what their moms do for work
- The video celebrates working moms in SA and how they juggle careers and family
- Heartwarming reactions flood in as Mzansi jokes, laughs, and shows pride in mothers and what they do
- Briefly News writer Gloria Masia spoke to Rosina Mokgalaka, also known as Tacher Lebo, and teacher Amy, who shared insight into how children interpret careers based on what they see around them
Source: Instagram
A TikTok video featuring Grade 1 learners guessing what their mothers do for a living is melting Mzansi's heart and igniting laughter. It also sparked admiration for South African women balancing high-powered careers and motherhood.
Posted by @sacred_heart_college on 15 May, the video shows children attempting to describe their mothers’ jobs before the professionals themselves step in to explain their actual roles. The women's jobs range from mining engineering and law to marketing, science and aviation, and also features professionals in banking, communications, pharmaceuticals, aesthetics, and digital skills training.
Referring to a mother who is actually a lawyer by profession and currently a stay-at-home mum, her child confidently describes her as:
“She's a captain for the aeroplane,”
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Another says about a mom who is actually an associate professor of sociology:
“She goes to work and goes to meetings."
Source: Instagram
The strengths working mothers bring to the workplace
Working mothers are often described as a quiet but powerful force in today’s workforce, bringing a set of skills shaped by balancing career demands with parenting responsibilities. Their daily experience managing competing priorities is linked to stronger adaptability, time management, and emotional intelligence in professional settings.
This perspective is increasingly viewed not as a limitation, but as added value, with many working mothers contributing to improved collaboration, problem-solving, and workplace culture through the lived experience they bring to their roles.
Rosina told Briefly News writer Gloria Masia that social media and societal expectations play a big role in shaping how children view different jobs.
“Social media and society play a huge role in how children interpret their parents’ jobs. It often shows that careers like doctors, nurses, IT professionals, and business owners are seen as the definition of success. Children also try to fit in with friends by choosing what they think will help them be accepted.”
She explained that as an educator, she encourages learners to think beyond popularity and focus on passion when choosing a career.
“I teach my learners about passion and purpose when it comes to choosing careers. I don’t want them to end up choosing something just because society says it is a ‘quick job to get’. I guide them so they can choose what they truly love, so they don’t feel like they are working a single day in their lives.”
Rosina added that these perceptions are something she continues to see in her classroom discussions with young learners.
“Yes, especially because I am a teacher myself, I still see these conversations happening. Children often choose careers based on societal standards and what they see on social media.”
Teacher Amy on the other hand told Briefly News that children at foundation phase level are still developing how they understand the world around them.
“Young children are still in what Jean Piaget describes as the preoperational stage of development, where they make sense of the world through imagination, language, and personal experiences. They often interpret things literally or based on small details they notice at home, which is why their explanations can sound so funny and innocent.”
She explained that teachers use creative methods to help learners understand different careers and professions.
“As teachers, we help learners understand careers through storytelling, role play, dress-up activities, and simple classroom discussions about community helpers and different professions. At foundation phase level, children learn best through play and real-life examples, so we try to make learning relatable and exciting.”
Amy added that moments like these highlight children’s honesty, imagination, and curiosity.
“Absolutely. Moments like these remind us how imaginative and honest children are. According to Piaget, children at this age are naturally curious and use their creativity to understand the world around them. Their responses may not always be accurate, but they reflect innocence, confidence, and the beautiful way children think.”
View the TikTok video below:
Social media celebrates working mothers
The video created a space of admiration for working mothers in South Africa, with viewers praising both their professional achievements and the humour in children’s misunderstandings of their jobs. This is what Mzansi said on @sacred_heart_college's page:
ny1k0t said:
“Someone said her mom goes to the circus, mind you her mom is a mining engineer 🤣”
zizi_moloko wrote:
“She makes stickers 😂 that time it’s printing and embroidery”
vivacious_sbosh replied:
“My mom is the boss 👌😂”
tshepi_mollo stated:
“Captain of the aeroplane🤣 so cute”
snothy21_zwane commented:
“These moms are a BIG DEAL!!! All of them ❤️❤️❤️❤️”
kelebogilee_m quoted:
“My mom is a scientist 😭”
talks_judge said:
“She goes to work and goes to meetings 😂”
re.filwe._m answered:
“The first little girls mother was my English teacher in high school ❤️”
bikdreamz quoted:
“My mom goes to work and go get some money 😭🤣”
uvileovayo said:
“She teaches kids how to make Lego cars 😂”
Mor Briefly News stories on mothers
- A woman in KwaZulu-Natal was left shocked after discovering that her toddlers had flushed a loaf of bread and other household items down the toilet while unsupervised.
- A viral gender reveal video sparked backlash after a mother-in-law was accused of ruining the moment by behaving inappropriately during the celebration, with viewers criticising her actions and the husband’s lack of support.
- An Eastern Cape University of Fort Hare graduate overcame devastating personal loss after a 2023 house fire claimed the lives of his mother and three siblings, later graduating with more than 20 distinctions as he turned his grief into academic determination.
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Source: Briefly News
