A 3-year-old toddler snuck out of his crib to go on a solo McDonald's date. His mom says she felt seen by other parents who've experienced the same thing.

• A mom shared a TikTok video about her 3-year-old son in July that garnered 3 million views.
• She said her son snuck out of their home and walked to a local McDonald's during nap time.

A Wisconsin mother said her three-year-old son snuck out of their home during nap time to get McDonald's.

Marissa Phiffer shared the anecdote in a TikTok video on July 31, the same day her son took an unexpected solo outing.

In an interview with Insider, Phiffer said the ordeal unfurled that afternoon after waking up from a nap with her toddler twins, Aiden and Aleiya. Phiffer described herself as a "helicopter parent," so she waited for her children to fall asleep in their cribs before she slept on the floor nearby.

But when Phiffer awoke, she discovered both Aiden and his shoes were missing.

"I wake up and look over at his crib," Phiffer said. "His crib is to the left, and his mattress is to the right — you can just tell he escaped."

Aiden is a bit of an "escape artist," according to Phiffer, but she said he usually climbs out of his crib at night to play with his toys. She quickly searched for Aiden in the house but realized he'd left once she spied the front door.

To her surprise, she told Insider Aiden had unlocked the screen and front doors.

"I was more worried about everything inside the home, like outlet plugs and cabinet locks. I wasn't thinking about him leaving the house," she said.

Phiffer said she called 911 and canvassed the neighborhood with the help of her family. Local authorities arrived quickly and, fortunately, had answers.

She added that Aiden had walked a half-mile to the McDonald's down the street, and officers confirmed it by showing Phiffer a photo they took of him at the fast food restaurant. A Good Samaritan had called authorities after seeing Aiden wandering.

Phiffer rushed to the McDonald's to reunite with Aiden, who was unfazed and enjoying the restaurant's playground.

"He was like, 'Hi, mom!'" Phiffer said.

Aiden's disappearing act was overwhelming at the moment, but in retrospect, Phiffer said she sees the humor in the situation. She told her followers in another TikTok video that she's since added additional locks to her home so it won't happen again.

"It was only funny once I found out where he was," she added. "He loves McDonald's, and he's always wanted to go to the playground."

On TikTok, Phiffer's story resonated with other parents, some of whom shared similar experiences in the comment section. She said the response has been positive for the most part, which she didn't necessarily expect when she posted the video. The internet is quick to mom shame, and a previous video she posted of her daughter roused opinions from some TikTok users.

"I did not expect everyone to be like, 'It's OK, mama. I've done this, too,'" she said, adding that she's not easily bothered by trolls or people criticizing her.

"I know I'm a good parent," she said. "Nothing they can say can make me think otherwise."