A lot of the trends we see on TikTok are playful and fun, but the “Can I Come Stay at Your House?” trend is quite the opposite sadly. You won’t see any silly dancing or challenges with people dumping buckets of water on their heads when you research this trend.
In fact the full title of the video is “Can I come stay at your house? No! No actually you can not!” and your heart will break when you see why. Teenage TikTok user @alt.bryan recently posted a homemade video that’s going viral, and not for its catchy music or creative use of filters.
Instead, her video is going viral because of its shocking and raw honesty.
The teen’s post shows her playing with her toddler-age brother on the carpet in their family room. The two are huddled over colorful Spider-Man and dinosaur toys in what seems like a wholesome post by a loving older sister, until the background audio picks up the sound of shouting, breaking glass, and a fight escalating between her parents in the next room.
People online are praising the teen girl for what she does next in order to protect her little brother.
Without panicking, the older sister quickly asks the toddler if he’d like to go into her room to play the guitar so that she can distract him from the domestic violence taking place so close by.
Her act, while simple and smart at its core, is a heartbreaking example of how children learn to cope and adjust their roles in the family as a result of trauma.
In the comments, the teen was praised for protecting her brother, and others empathized with her.
“Can we appreciate how strong this girl is?” one person wrote. “Keeping sure her sibling is okay while listening? You’re so strong, hopefully it will all get better for you.”
“You are such a kind person for keeping that kid safe. You did the right thing and I hope your doing alright,” another added.
“Yes, everybody has a house but not everyone has a home,” wrote someone else. “Little boy didn’t deserve this.”
Other comments included, “Protect this little man,” “My soul hurts watching this and my heart aches from it,” and “Its so hard to make younger siblings happy in that situations while holding your own tears.”
The name of this heartbreaking trend illustrates why children growing up with domestic violence in the household do not allow their friends to come over.
Research shows that domestic violence affects millions of children each year.
Children living in households affected by domestic violence often avoid inviting friends over, not because they don’t want to socialize, but because they’re deeply ashamed or afraid of what their friends might witness, according to the Office on Women’s Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As of 2025, researchers at the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody have estimated that between 3.3 million and 10 million American children are exposed to adult domestic violence each year. That’s millions of children suffering under the weight of what happened in their home last night, or that morning before school.
Many kids take on the emotional and even physical responsibilities beyond their years, in order to protect younger siblings, to navigate explosive environments, and to try to survive without calling attention to themselves or the issues at home.
Social media is used for more than just silly trends and dances.
This trend and @alt.bryan’s post are powerful reminders that social media isn’t just a space for teens to post fun selfies and to do silly dances. Social media can also act as a sounding board for the harsh realities that children and teens face every day behind closed doors.
The next time a child says you may not come to their house, ask yourself why.
Often, the answer “no” is actually a cry for help and a sign that other issues may be affecting the child at home.
