This is the Most Honest Parenting Interaction We've Ever Seen & Now We Can't Stop Crying
We’re biologically wired to respond to the cries of babies — whether they belong to us or not. So when our own children are inconsolable, crying and screaming for hours on end, it can send us into an emotional spiral of our own. In addition to being frustrated, we feel helpless. We’re supposed to be the ones to fix it. This is where self-regulation comes in.
While our little ones are learning how to experience and process their emotions, we’re engaged in that same type of work. One 6-year-old boy understood this concept and offered an impactful reminder to his father in a beautiful moment showcasing what an incredible job the dad and his wife are doing raising their kids.
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The 6-year-old provided a master-class example of self-regulation in a TikTok video.
Molly Mikos shared a moment with her 6-year-old who, like his parents, had been listening to his 3-year-old sibling have a full-on meltdown for more than two hours. In a video captured on a camera in the family’s dining area, we see the boy sitting quietly at the table while his sibling cries in the background.
He closes his eyes and starts taking deep breaths. Shortly after his first breath, his father joins him at the table. As he walks into the room, he asks, “Are you doing OK buddy?”
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His father went to check on him and ended up being uplifted in the process.
The dad, who was clearly a bit frazzled himself, was checking on his son but ultimately ended up learning from him. When the dad sits down at the table, he buries his head in his hands, clearly frustrated and overwhelmed, and whispers, “Oh my God.”
It was such an honesty and relatable moment we instantly got choked up just seeing him. It was like we could feel his emotions through the screen, because honestly, every parent has been there.
Also empathizing with his father’s feelings, the boy offers a solution. “I think we should take some deep breaths together,” he says.
Dad agrees and the two start breathing together, and then we really lost it.
The dad apologized for losing his cool.
As the father calms down a bit, he says, “Thank you Daniel, you’re right,” in a voice full of emotion. A bit later, the dad offers an apology to his son. When his son asks about what, he says for losing his cool.
“Mommy and I keeping trying to do better, set a better example. This stuff gets frustrating,” he explains.
That’s when Daniel comes around to his dad’s side of the table with encouraging words. “Hey Dad, it’s OK,” he says, giving him a hug.
The hug was just what his father needed.
The dad, appreciative of the gesture, leans into his son and says, “You are the best little guy. Do you know how much I love you?”
Clearly, this boy was just giving his parents the same love that had been poured into him, and seeing the effects of their stellar parenting reminded us that we are doing a good job, too.
Raising empathetic, kind, loving children is the most we could hope for as parents, and even when it feels like we're failing in a moment of tension and stress, these are the kind of moments that prove it's worth all the hard work.
When Molly shared the father-son moment on TikTok, her comments overflowed with admiration and appreciation.
People hoped that their children grow up to be like this empathetic boy.
“What a beautiful boy!” one user wrote. “Great job mom and dad.”
“He is so empathetic,” a comment reads.
Others commended the father for apologizing to his son.
“Imagine growing up with a parent who apologizes,” someone wrote.
Another person wished for their child to follow this same example. “You got [me] crying at 2am as I rock my baby boy to sleep,” one mother wrote. “I hope he grows up to be like your son.”
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