Content creator Emilie Kiser is speaking openly about the criticism she continues to receive over her parenting decisions following the death of her 3-year-old son, Trigg.
In a TikTok video posted Friday, August 14, Kiser, 27, addressed several rumors about her family while acknowledging that she has made mistakes as a parent.
Kiser said her family understands how suddenly life can change after experiencing what she described as the “worst possible thing happening.”
Trigg died last year after drowning in the family’s backyard swimming pool, a tragedy that has continued to shape the way Kiser and her husband, Brady, approach parenting and water safety.
One rumor Kiser particularly wanted to address was the claim that the family still swims in the same backyard pool where Trigg drowned.
Kiser firmly denied that claim, explaining that the family does not use the pool and has difficulty even spending time in the backyard because of what happened there.
“We have not, we will not and we do not swim in our swimming pool where our child drowned,” she said.
She added that she hopes speaking publicly about the matter will finally put the rumor to rest, particularly out of respect for Trigg and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Kiser also confirmed that a fence has since been installed around the family’s pool. She acknowledged that some critics believe the safety measure came too late.
Her younger son, Teddy, who is 17 months old, is also taking Infant Swimming Resource lessons, according to Kiser.
The influencer addressed another controversy involving Teddy after the family received criticism in July when he was seen without a life jacket for part of a boat outing.
Kiser explained that Teddy had become fussy, leading the family to briefly remove the life jacket in an attempt to calm him. Looking back, she said she understands that the decision was a mistake.
“There is no reason ever why a child should be out of a life jacket,” she said, adding that she understands why the situation sparked an important discussion about water safety.
Kiser acknowledged that even though the decision felt reasonable to them in the moment, something could have gone wrong.
Beyond responding to specific parenting concerns, Kiser also spoke about the emotional impact of being continuously judged online while dealing with grief.
She said she feels exhausted by attempts to convince people of her intentions when some critics are determined to interpret her actions negatively.
“I feel like I can’t say anything right. I can’t do anything right,” she said.
Kiser also explained that she has become hesitant to publicly discuss her grief because she fears people will question her motives or accuse her of trying to profit from her son’s death.
Her comments reflect the difficult balance she says she is trying to navigate: acknowledging mistakes, improving safety decisions for her family and grieving privately while living much of her life in the public eye.
For Kiser, the conversation is not about claiming to be a perfect parent. Instead, she says she is trying to learn from past decisions while asking people not to turn speculation into fact.
