WOODLAWN — A local mom went viral after sharing how she tracked down her 11-year-old daughter in an online game when the preteen ignored her phone calls.
Last week, Chariel Watson called her daughter, Miracle, to remind her to get the lasagna and garlic bread out of the freezer so it could be thawed for dinner. But answering the phone would have ended Miracle’s session in her online game Roblox, so she ignored her mother’s calls.
Rather than bother with a voicemail, Watson went on Roblox and found Miracle just before the 11-year-old sped off in a virtual car. He was able to tell Miracle to defrost dinner, and Miracle paused to get out the lasagna and garlic bread.
Watson posted screenshots of the game’s conversation on Facebook, where they were shared widely.
“I just took a screenshot and posted it to say, ‘Look what I have to go through to get my daughter to answer the phone,’” said Watson, a lifelong South Sider. “I just thought it was funny and just a real life moment that describes our relationship.”
Credit: Courtesy of Chariel WatsonChariel Watson logged into Roblox to remind her daughter to get dinner out of the freezer. 
Credit: Courtesy of Chariel WatsonChariel Watson jumped into her daughter’s Roblox car before she could leave.
The mother and daughter have a close bond and often play together on Roblox.
Watson had Mira when she was 19 and her partner died shortly before she found out she was pregnant, she said. The couple is so close that Watson’s sister says they could have their own TV show, Watson said.
“I always felt that having a relationship with her was really important because I’m her only parent and the bond with my son is important to me,” Watson said. “When Roblox came out, my daughter would spend hours there, so I was like, ‘She’s okay, let me be a part of her world.'”
Credit: Courtesy of Chariel WatsonChariel Watson and her daughter Miracle.
In no time, Mira showed her mom everything she needed to know about playing Roblox, and it became a “great way to bond,” Watson said.
The mother-daughter duo plays Roblox, a platform with hundreds of games, together “all the time,” so Watson didn’t think twice about logging in and teleporting into Mira’s character, she said.
While the lighthearted moment went viral, Watson isn’t necessarily suggesting it as a long-term strategy to get kids’ attention..
“I would say to parents, don’t just download Roblox to find your kids and tell them what to do, but go in there to play with them and meet your kids,” Watson said. “I didn’t realize my daughter was so computer-savvy because of the way she’s teaching me all this stuff. I always look at her like, ‘How did you learn this?’”
Watson is a comedian who frequently posts funny videos online about what’s going on in her life. She has gone viral multiple times, but the Roblox post of her “takes the cake,” she said.
Watson hopes to become an actress and get more involved in stand-up comedy, so she’s always “thinking of ways to put myself out there,” Watson said.
“There is no better way to go viral than with my daughter because she is everything to me,” Watson said. “Going viral for being a dad is so much fun for me, but the reaction to this post gave me the confirmation I needed to repost more often.”
Watson is active on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
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