A Dad Immediately Regrets His Response After His Daughter Begs Him To Bring Lunch To School
He was met with an incredible greeting from her and her friends.
pixelshot / Canva Pro It’s more than easy to dismiss our family, especially when we’re constantly around them. This is more than true for parents with young children. Whether you’re making meals, running errands, or trying to get through a busy day at work, you can easily forget to prioritize the little things and the important people in your life.
Sometimes, the more we see and think about someone, the easier it becomes to take advantage of their presence. It’s that same sentiment that dad @texas956dad on TikTok shared in a video after feeling guilty and regretful for his response to his daughter who had requested a picnic at school.
After refusing to bring his daughter a ‘picnic’ to school for her and her friends, this dad immediately felt guilty enough to change his response.
Especially in tumultuous times, it can be difficult to focus on the little things in life that allow you to be the best parent for your child. As a parent, you focus on the foundational aspects of your life, like ensuring everyone has food to eat and clothes to wear. Especially if you’re struggling financially or dealing with another stressor, it can be hard to dedicate time or energy to anything outside of that.
Young kids often don’t notice those contributions or sacrifices, and as children, they shouldn't. Children are much more interested in the conversation, quality time, and emotional bond forged with their parents. According to a Family Wellness & Health report, parents only spend an average of 39 minutes per week having meaningful conversations with their children. That's not much quality time when you consider how it can improve everything from their grades to their mental health.
When his daughter said her other friends were brought lunch by their parents, this dad responded in a way he regretted. He was devastated when he realized his response to his daughter’s request for a ‘picnic’ at school, something that her friend Jessica’s parents had done several times.
The father told his daughter she was the reason her parents didn't give her a picnic.
“Well, what does Jessica do for her mom? I bet Jessica’s room is a lot cleaner than yours. I bet Jessica’s grades are a lot higher than yours. She deserves that picnic,” he said. “That was my response to my little girl — you need to be a better daughter,” he lamented, “not, I need to be a better parent.”
In a story many parents clearly empathized with, this dad’s bad day led to a response that haunted him. Instead of ruminating about his guilt and allowing it to affect his relationship with his daughter, he knew that he had to make things right.
So, when he connected with his wife at the end of the day, they made a plan to make it up to their daughter, in a special way.
Realizing that he was asking his youngest to ‘be a better daughter’ instead of stepping up as a parent, he decided to make a special lunch to surprise her with.
Still a weight on his shoulders, he and his wife devised a plan to make the perfect picnic. With Gordon Ramsey's videos on replay and all the ingredients to make his daughter’s favorite meal, the pair built the perfect lunch to surprise their daughter with at school.
It’s moments like these that can truly make a difference in children’s lives. No matter how much time you’re able to spend with your kids, it’s the “quality time” that truly affects your relationship.
Photo: DragonImages / Canva Pro
Outside of just growing your bond, quality time, like one-on-one conversations or kind gestures, can make an incredibly positive impact on the mental and physical well-being of your children as they grow and evolve. So, regardless of how often you work or how busy you are at home, focus more on the quality of the time you spend with your children, rather than the quantity alone.
After the dad surprised his daughter and her friends, he was met with a heartfelt message.
Thinking that he was solely making up for the conversation earlier the dad was surprised when his daughter’s friends were just as excited to thank him for the lunch. “Dad, the girls want to say thank you,” his daughter said, “they have something to give you.”
Looking around his daughter to the friends waiting behind her, he reached out to grab a note being gifted to him by one of the girls and immediately had to fight back tears. “Thank you, sir, for the picnic,” the note read, “I don’t have my dad. It’s awesome what you did for Alina. Can I call you Dad?”
Photo: RAW PIXELS / Canva Pro
Reflecting on his actions from earlier in the day, he couldn’t help but wonder what the little girl would’ve thought if he never made things right with his own daughter. What would have happened if he let them all believe that they had to be ‘better kids’ to deserve a kind gesture? “If this little girl had known what my initial response was, would she still have felt that way?”
Fellow dads in the comments empathized with the man, while also applauding his behavior and self-awareness.
“Man, it gets hard when we say the wrong thing from time to time in the heat of the moment,” one dad said, “but, we can always fix it. Keep your head up.”
Parenting is hard. There's a lot to juggle and a lot of stress, but what separates a good parent from a great parent has nothing to do with the stuff you can give your kids, and everything to do with the time you make for them.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.