Aprianna Lukie from Greenwood, South Carolina, shared footage online of her daughter Z’Naria getting herself out of her baby seat and climbing into the front of the car to open the door after being locked inside with the keys still in the ignition.
The American Automobile Association estimates that around four million drivers in the U.S. lock themselves out of their vehicles every day.
But while it’s one thing to leave your keys inside a locked car, it’s a whole other ball game when a young child ends up stuck inside the vehicle as well.
Lukie told Newsweek the incident occurred while she was visiting a cemetery to pay her respects to some relatives with her daughter and grandmother.
“Because we weren’t staying long I left the keys in the ignition and got out to get the baby. Her door was locked so I told my grandmother to unlock the door,” she said. “Instead of her unlocking the door she locked ALL the doors of the car and shut the door.”
She said her grandma was beside herself when she realized what had happened.
“My grandmother started to panic and wanted to call for help,” Lukie said. However, the mom spotted something about her daughter that left her confident the situation could be resolved without having to call out a locksmith.
“Because the baby was strapped improperly I knew she could wiggle her way out of the car seat,” Lukie said. “The front doors automatically open if you pull the latch. So I knew her opening the door would be easy.”
Positioning herself by the car window, Lukie proceeded to guide her young daughter through the process, which began with her navigating her way out of the seatbelt before making her way to the front of the car.
In truth, Z’Naria made it look easy, crawling up to the front seat before lifting the door lock, much to the delight of her mom, who was waiting outside.
However, in listening to her mom’s instructions and acting accordingly, the young baby showed a level of comprehension and intelligence that defies her young age.
According to the CDC, by the age of one, young children should be able to wave “bye-bye” and understand the word “no.” Their cognitive abilities should revolve around putting items in containers and being able to seek out things they see you hide.
Standing, walking and drinking from cups without a lid are also expected of children in this age bracket. But listening to relatively complex instructions about getting out of a car, getting out of a car seat and crawling to the front seat before unlocking the door and exiting the vehicle? That’s definitely above and beyond any expectations of a one-year-old or even a two-year-old for that matter.
Lukie evidently agreed that what unfolded was something special, which explains why she captured the whole thing on camera. “It was originally a video to be sent to family but they suggested I make a TikTok of it,” she said.
The clip has proved a hit on the social media, amassing over 445,000 hits with viewers flooding the comments section with messages of praise for the super-smart toddler.
ChrisChris01 commented: “Too smart!!! I’m surprised she didn’t start the car and drive off!!” while poppakeith0 said she was “19 months going on 19 years.”
Nicolelifeofaball said: “My baby just looked at me like I was crazy when I did it” with ltee410 writing: “Never stop challenging her!! This baby is smart. There is no limit.”
Elsewhere, brian_o_connor103 declared Z’Naria the “smartest kid ever” while RiddleMeSick declared: “This baby for president! So smart. They should give him a key to the city. One of those colorful plastic baby ones.”
Lukie is certainly one very proud mom.
“Afterwards, I gave her hugs, kisses, high fives, and I told her how proud I was of her,” she said. “And she’s getting a big surprise this weekend.”
Z’Naria will turn 2 in April. She’ll probably want to start driving cars by then.