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Mom Films Toddler’s Magic Moment, Seeing the World ‘Through His Eyes’


A toddler had the sweetest reaction to one of the most mundane of sights while out on a walk with his mom.

Saige Millgate from Melbourne, Australia, captured her 2-year-old son Kade’s joyous response to what most would view as an everyday sight. However, there was something about Kade’s reaction that gave his mom pause for thought.

Childhood is a precious and sadly fleeting time in the life of any parent or carer. In a poll of 1,032 parents conducted by the website Netmums, over 70 percent of respondents said they felt their kid was no longer childlike by the age of 12. Given everything that goes into parenting, it is important that moms and dads take time to enjoy these key years and the innocence and sense of wonder their children possess.

Millgate has always tried to do this. “My journey to motherhood has been far from easy,” she told Newsweek. “After battling fertility issues for years, it took three-and-a-half years, two surgeries, and countless tests and procedures to finally conceive our first son, Kade.”

He may have taken his time getting here, but Kade has been worth the wait for Millgate. “He’s the most spirited, loving, wild, and fun toddler you could meet,” she said. “His passion for life is magnetic—people tell us every day just how funny and entertaining he is, always lighting up the room with his vibrant personality.”

Kade’s winning character and sense of wonder has been parlayed into a side hustle as a TikTok star, with Millgate regularly posting videos of her son to the platform under the handle @saigemillgate.

A boy reacting to the garbage truck.
Kade Millgate reacts with excitement to the garbage truck. There was something about his sense of wonder that made his mom stop and think, she told Newsweek.

@saigemillgate

That’s how Millgate ended up capturing Kade’s joyful reaction to seeing a garbage truck. “Kade has been absolutely obsessed with anything that has wheels—trucks, cars, motorbikes—you name it,” Millgate said. “Every week, without fail, he rushes outside to watch the garbage truck go by, totally captivated.”

Kade’s love of all things on wheels has proved useful from a parenting perspective. “It’s the perfect distraction when we’re out and about,” Millgate said. “If we pass a truck or spot a construction site while driving, his eyes light up, and any restlessness instantly melts away. It’s like magic!”

But, while it is common enough for boys to like cars, there is something about Kade’s reaction that had his mom thinking about the bigger picture of life. “Lately, I’ve been hearing so many people say, ‘I wish I could get that excited about things again.’ And honestly, it wasn’t until I had Kade that I truly started seeing the world through his eyes—almost like being a kid again,” Millgate said.

“It’s a constant reminder that it’s the little things in life that bring the most happiness and to never take these moments for granted, especially while the kids are still young.”

Capturing these moments on camera provided Millgate with a lasting reminder of this period. “Every moment with him is precious, and watching his happiness is my version of feeling that same thrill he gets when he sees a garbage truck or firetruck,” she said. “It’s a beautiful way to see life.”

Though Kade is getting older and the way he looks at the world will change and evolve, Millgate can look forward to more of the same—she is pregnant with a second child, a little girl.



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