Sometimes we spend so much time focusing on motherhood and parenting that we forget how truly important fathers are as well. We were recently reminded of how integral fathers are when a woman named Kalynne Marie saw and overheard an interaction between a man and his son inside a local Target’s Starbucks area.
Marie witnessed a young boy, speculated to be about 6 or 7 in age, spill his drink accidentally all over the table they were sitting at. The boy showed good manners by immediately apologizing to his father, who was sitting next to him. While many parents would have resorted to scolding or getting angry at the child, the father instead chose to make this moment a sizeable teaching moment for his child. He started off by telling his child- “Hey, it happens. Let’s go get napkins and I can show you how to clean it up.”
Calmly, he then continued to teach his son something truly important about what the slushie spill means as a metaphor for the rest of his life-
“You’re going to be a human being for a long time, and you have such a smart brain that it’s important you learn how to be more aware of what you’re doing. So next time just be sure to pay more attention to your surroundings so accidents like this don’t happen. Accidents like these can be prevented, but it’s still okay if they happen. As long as you take responsibility for your mistakes, the clean up is a breeze.”
The touching moment showcased a great way to hold his son accountable, teach him a life lesson, and avoid getting angry over an accident- choosing to point out the need for responsibility while treating his son like an adult. It’s a truly beautiful moment that showcases the power of parenting done right!
The man lastly told his son-
“I know big messes seem overwhelming and you might feel like you can’t do it by yourself, but it’s always okay to ask for help. There is no problem with asking for help when you need it.”
As soon as Marie heard the interaction, she posted it into her iPhone Notes App and later posted it on her Facebook, which quickly went viral and attracted the attention of people all across the internet. She also has revealed that she is a single mother herself and that it was a reminder of what it means to remain patient and practical in times of mistakes from children.
We hope that both parents and all adults alike can learn from this incredible interaction between this equally incredible father and son.
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