Mom Works From Home, What Toddler Now Calls ‘Fun' Leaves Her Stunned

A mom working from home was left stunned after realizing what her toddler now considers "fun."

Casey Machia, 30, shared a reel on Instagram (@caseymachia) which captured her young daughter sitting at a laptop as she pretended to take a virtual meeting of her own.

She wrote on the text overlay: "POV both your parents work from home so your version of play is ‘on a meeting.'"

Casey works as a virtual, school-based occupational therapist, while her husband, 31-year-old Chad Aiken, is employed in software sales.

Because both parents are fully remote in North Carolina, their daughter has been at home with them since birth-a situation Casey said they feel incredibly fortunate to have.

"She knows that our work revolves around our computers, and also, for my husband, his phone," she told Newsweek.

That familiarity has expanded how she plays. What once focused on classic pretend scenarios like cooking in her toy kitchen, running a café or dressing up has now evolved to include laptops, phones and "being on a call."

Through play, Casey's daughter has learned about different kinds of jobs. "She now also has the expansion of knowledge knowing that you can also work at home and on your computer, which so many parents have the privilege of doing so these days," Casey said.

Seeing her daughter impersonating her parents was both amusing and emotional. Casey, who is also a lifestyle influencer who creates content for Instagram and TikTok alongside her other work, said the moment brought her and Chad a lot of joy.

"It's a constant reminder that our children are sponges and truly mimic everything that you do," Casey said. "It also was such a sweet reminder that we really are the biggest influence in our child’s life."

Casey's reel has gone viral on Instagram, clocking up over 440,000 views. In the comments, many other parents shared similar stories of toddlers pretending to type, take calls or sit in "meetings" alongside them.

"My son is ‘working on a project' as he aggressively bangs on my keyboard," one user wrote.

"Did she use the phrase ‘circle back' too?" another joked.

"Omg I can see this happening to me," a third said.

"It’s so sweet to see and connect with other parents who also are in the same boat as us as we navigate the work from home world while having our child with us full time," Casey said.

That journey is about to grow even busier. Casey revealed that she and Chad are expecting their second daughter in May, who will also stay home with them as they continue working remotely.

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This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 7:27 AM.