Toddler Scolds Her Dad For Being Mean To His Teenager — ‘God Gave You Me So I Can Make You Good To The Other Kids’
Her spirited scolding captured hearts on TikTok.
MNStudio / Shutterstock Many parents would tell you they’ve been humbled by their children more times than they care to admit. One father experienced this as his daughter chastised him for the way he disciplined her older sister.
The toddler offered quite the rebuke.
A toddler scolded her father for the way he treated her older sister.
TikTok user @dreamyzoonie1 posted a video of a toddler who had a tough talk with her father. The video was captioned, “Toddler scolds dad for speaking to his teenage daughter angrily.”
The little girl spoke strongly to her father, who was on the other side of the camera. “I do not like how you are saying this stuff,” she insisted. “One, is you are being pretty mean to Hope,” she said, referring to her older sister.
She continued to berate him for his behavior. “Dad, you do not be nice a lot of times to the kids except for Isaac and me, and your wife,” she said.
Although it is never explicitly stated, the viewer is led to believe that Isaac is a brother around the same age as this feisty toddler.
For his part, the father seemed slightly surprised that he was being spoken to in such a way, but he mostly took it in stride. “So you think I’m making a bad choice?” he asked calmly.
“Yes!” his daughter exclaimed in exasperation.
Photo: Tatiana Syrikova / Pexels
The father tried to step in and defend himself. “It’s hard being a dad,” he stated.
This is when the little girl reached the most important part of her speech. “Dad, that is why God gave you me … and Isaac … so then, we can have talks with you and make you good to the kids,” she said emphatically. “That’s why he brought us here.”
Her father seemed amused as he responded. “I believe this. You have helped me to be a better dad,” he said. “Alright. I’m going to listen, and I’m going to try to take your thoughts, and pray about them, and talk to Hope. Okay?”
Is the toddler’s behavior concerning?
While it’s certainly amusing to watch the little girl tell her dad what’s what, it also raises some questions. Was her behavior just cute, or was it disrespectful?
According to VeryWell Family, “Your child’s disrespect may be a sign that they need help learning socially appropriate ways to manage anger, deal with frustration, and communicate effectively.”
While the little girl’s behavior seems adorable now, is it possible that it could be a sign of future aggression? It seems that she is a very clear communicator for her age, but she might not be doing so in the most appropriate way.
It could be a good idea for this family to set some boundaries so she knows what is acceptable when speaking to adults. However, the child appeared articulate and intelligent, so it likely won’t cause too much of a problem.
Other TikTokers loved the little girl’s energy.
People who commented on the video loved how spirited the toddler was and found her scolding adorable.
“She wasn’t interested in his excuses,” one commenter pointed out. That was true. When her father tried to bring up explanations for his behavior, the toddler promptly cut him off.
“The way she’s advocating for her sister while teaching life lessons,” another observed.
Photo: cottonbro studio / Pexels
This little girl was just trying to fight for her sister to make sure she was treated fairly and with kindness.
Perhaps, her advocacy for her older sister was the most important thing about this conversation that was lost amidst the cuteness. Putting aside discourse about respecting elders and talking back, the love and bond these siblings have should be celebrated.
Research has shown that positive sibling relationships can have a lasting impact on children, especially in teaching empathy. It's also the foundation of a bond that can be beneficial into adulthood. There's no denying that this little girl and her big sister, Hope, will be thick as thieves, hopefully all their lives.
And really, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.