Good dads who didn't have good examples deserve to be recognized.
Being a parent isn't easy, but it's infinitely harder if you didn't have a good parenting example yourself to follow. Some may have had abusive or neglectful parents, and some may have grown up in a household where one or both parents were so busy trying to make ends meet that they didn't have the opportunity to be as present and involved as they wanted to be.
Breaking a cycle as a parent is difficult, and kids may not even realize when they have a parent who had to overcome their own childhood to be a better parent than they had. That's why a video of a dad and his three kids doing a "privilege walk" game, led by their mom, has people tearing up as they see the appreciation dawn on the kids' faces when they realize how their dad grew up.
@_xoxo20251 They thought he was quiet… But silence was the sound of sacrifice. Dad gave them everything and kept nothing for himself. 💔#stepforward #stepforwardchallenge #dad #family
The video begins with the dad and three kids holding hands. Then mom starts going through this list of statements:
"Move one step forward if you ate pizza by age 7."
"Move one step forward if you have a daddy that would drop you off at school."
"Move one step forward if you have a daddy that will take you to the park."
"Move one step forward if you have a dad that will play with you after work."
"Move one step forward if you had more than two pairs of shoes by age 7."
"Move one step forward if you had games or Nintendo Switch by age 10."
"Move one step forward if you have a daddy that will fix your hair before school."
Not everyone grows up with a good dad. Photo credit: Canva
With each statement, the kids step forward while the dad stays back. When they step forward enough for them to let go of his hands, we see the first realization hit. As they get farther and farther from him, they occasionally look back, we see the emotion on their faces. By the time the mom says, "Move one step forward if you had to work to help provide for your parents by age 8," and the dad steps forward, the message is crystal clear. Their dad came from nothing and has given them everything.
People in the comments were moved to tears by the demonstration, some because they saw themselves in the dad, some because they saw themselves in the kids, and some who simply recognized what a pivotal moment this was for the whole family:
"That Dad is breaking the cycle for his family. From one dad to another I see you and your efforts. My heart feels for you because I had parents that struggled to get me where I’m at today."
"The way they keep looking back to see if there dad had any of that."
It's a special moment when a child appreciates their parents' hard work and sacrifice. Photo credit: Canva
"The pain on their faces when they realize how amazing their dad is and how unfair he had it as a child."
"Turned his trauma into love. And turned my eyes into faucets 😭"
"Praise to the dad, but even more praise to the mom for showing her kids how amazing their dad is. This gesture surely meant the world to him ❤"
"Shout out to the mom who made it a mission to make sure her kids appreciated their dad…. That’s rare 👏❤"
"He gave them everything he never had and broke the cycle. God bless you guys! You have a beautiful family!"
"I'm so proud of the father. He became everything he never had."
Good parents are always worth celebrating, but good parents who overcome their own lacking childhood deserve an extra dose of recognition and appreciations. Here's to all the cycle breakers, wherever they come from.