I feel like a terrible granddaughter. My grandmother's first language is Spanish, and I’ve always struggled holding a full conversation with her. It's a weird dynamic because I can read, write and say a few phrases here and there, but I still get self-conscious speaking the language to her. After years of this, the language barrier has hindered me from picking up the phone to call, say hi or just catch her up on my life. So, though it might sound silly to transition into how a TikTok trend has helped me strengthen my bond with my abuela, here’s how the ‘Wednesday Waffle’ trend is actually connecting us more.
The ‘Wednesday Waffle’ TikTok Trend Was Created for Friends—But I’m Using It With My Grandma
On Wednesdays, we yap
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Published Mar 5, 2025
Paula Boudes/PureWow
Australian TikTok creator Zachary Perez went viral for his concept of 'Wednesday Waffle.' It came about during the pandemic as a way to connect with his friends. 'Waffle' is a slang word in Australia for talking without a clear goal or objective. Basically just yapping it up with friends about everything and anything.
Perez's key takeaway is for people to designate a day to catch up with friends. Whether it's via sending a pre-recorded video, IRL meeting or phone call, he stresses do anything but texting one another.
Now, I'm not about to teach my grandmother to play a video on her phone, let alone film her own to send me. However, I do love the concept of designating time once a week to "waffle" with her—whether that's through a regular call or FaceTime.
Connecting with her more regularly is certainly a perk, but since adopting the trend, I've also started to feel more comfortable speaking to her in Spanish. Since the calls are often short and sweet, I'm able to brush up on common phrases like "How are you?," "What are you doing?" and "What are your plans for this weekend?." Like I mentioned, the phone calls aren’t too long—maybe a minute or so—but it’s enough to hear her voice, share a little about our lives and end with a ‘I love you.’
The TikTok trend gave me the push I needed to talk to my grandmother more and work on my Spanish to make IRL time even more special. I didn’t realize the impact until I received a voicemail from her. For context, my grandmother never leaves me a voicemail. It's only six seconds, but it's enough to make me smile, knowing she wanted to talk to me and stick with our weekly chats.
So no matter how you choose to communicate, the trend motivates you to reach out and just...talk. We spend so much time in our heads (like me with the language barrier) or glued to our phones, so 'Wednesday Waffle' allows me once a week to just yap it up.
