Mom Tells Kids Their Takeout Has Arrived but There’s a Hilarious Twist – ryan

A woman online has pulled off a hilarious trick on her kids that has left the internet in stitches.

In a TikTok videoAlex MacLaren, a mother of three, told her children they’d ordered takeout—but not from any place they knew. Instead of ordering food from a restaurant, she had packed homemade meals into takeout containers, fooling her kids into thinking it was delivered.

MacLaren spoke to Newsweek about how it went down with her kids, and whether or not she will give it another go in the future.

“We ordered in food,” MacLaren said in the video to her children, as she presented a spread of Italian dishes, including tortellini minestrone and chicken cacciatore with rice. As her children eagerly awaited to eat, MacLaren continued to tease them, even mentioning a surprise dessert of cheesecake from their grandfather. The kids then dug in, completely unaware that their “takeout” was, in fact, a meticulously home-cooked meal.

MacLaren explained what inspired her to try out the trick.

“My kids actually aren’t overly picky,” she said. “Of course, they have preferences, as kids do, but I just thought it would be fun. Takeout for a family can be expensive, so we don’t order in often. They always get so excited when we do.”

Despite having made the same meal before, MacLaren’s kids never caught on to the ruse.

“I’m honestly shocked they didn’t catch on, especially because I’ve actually made this meal a few times before,” she said. “They all liked it, but since they’ve eaten this before I wasn’t surprised about that.”

The video quickly gained traction online, with many viewers commenting on how they could relate to the experience—both from MacLaren’s perspective and from her kids’.

“I fear this would work on me as an adult,” one person wrote. Another added: “If I thought every meal was delivery I would eat it all.”

“My mother would do this to me when I was younger!” another shared. “Until I realized the ‘takeout’ my dad brought home was the same food I caught my mom making in the kitchen.”

Mothers noted MacLaren’s trick as a standout example of “mommy marketing”—that is, the making of something more palatable for kids through its framing or “packaging”.

As for whether this trick will change how MacLaren approaches mealtime with her family, she isn’t quite sure. There are some logistical issues inherent in her job of mothering.

“Since at least one of my kids is usually home with me at any given time, I don’t know how often I’ll be able to make a fake-out take-out without them noticing,” she admitted. “I’ll definitely try it again when I get the chance, though.”

While the kids were none the wiser this time, MacLaren’s trick has brought joy to viewers online who can’t help but laugh at her tactics.