In 2019, Rachel Griffin Accurso, better known as Ms. Rachel, and her husband, Aron Accurso, started a YouTube channel to “help children learn important milestones and preschool skills” through fun songs.
Now five years later, the YouTube channel has more than 11.6 million subscribers and nearly eight billion views across 114 videos. And if you ask her, she owes all of that success to her 6-year old son, Thomas.
On Sept. 24, the 41-year-old mother sat down with the TODAY crew to talk about her incredible five-year journey, how the YouTube channel came to be, and what she and her husband have in store for the future.
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For those who don’t know, Ms. Rachel started her career as a preschool teacher in New York City, but things changed when her son was diagnosed with a speech delay.
Disappointed by the lack of resources available to them, Ms. Rachel and her husband decided to start a YouTube channel to bring more attention to her son’s condition and help other parents with similar stories.
That one small decision ended up changing the family’s life forever. And her son is well aware of it.
“I think since my husband and I have both been working on this for his whole life, and he knows he inspired it, he’s proud of that,” she told the TODAY crew.
Ms. Rachel waited nearly three years for Thomas’ first word
As a result of his condition, Ms. Rachel had to wait two years and eight months to hear her son’s first word, but that day finally came when he said “mama” for the first time.
Fast forward to today, and she can’t get Thomas to stop saying “Mommy.”
“It can’t bother me, because I waited two years and eight months to hear it. So I just love it. It’s music to my ears,” she said.
Now, not only is Thomas doing much better with his speech, but Ms. Rachel says he’s currently “ahead cognitively” and loves to read.
“He’s worked so hard. He’s so brilliant. He was reading before he could speak that well,” she said, adding that she “always make sure he knows how much I just love being his mom.”
Ms. Rachel adds children’s books to her impressive resume
If you’re a parent, then there’s a good chance you’ve played one of Ms. Rachel’s songs or videos for your child before. But now parents have more than one way to access her content.
On Sept. 24, the musical idol took to TikTok to reveal a new venture for Ms. Rachel in the form of picture books. And don’t worry, the books use the same techniques she uses in her videos, but with pictures.
@msrachelforlittles I’m SO excited to share with you all that I wrote a BOOK! ???????? ???????? Ms. Rachel and the Special Surprise!: Encouraging Speech and Learning Through Play and Music will be available everywhere starting September 24, 2024. Available for preorder today!✨???? The book uses the same techniques as the show to encourage speech and 20 milestones, all through a playful story! I hope you and your *amazing* little one enjoy reading it together! ???????????????????? Thank you and your wonderful families SO much for the incredible support! ???????????? Thanks @Random House Children’s Books for being the best! ✨???? Special thanks to Monique Dong, the illustrator, for her beautiful artwork! ????️ ✏️ ???? #msrachel #toddlermom #booktok #momsoftiktok
♬ original sound – Ms Rachel
Her first book, “Ms. Rachel and the Special Surprise: Encouraging Speech and Learning Through Play and Music” is available for purchase. Three more books will be available starting January 7.
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While Ms. Rachel knows what it’s like to wait several years to hear their child’s first word, she’s using her experiences to help parents and children thrive, no matter what curveballs life throws their way.