TikTok has taken over the world over the past few years. But for all of the self-absorbed, negative stuff we see on the platform, there are always examples of stuff that’s genuinely heartwarming .
A dad recently put out a video that’s since gone viral, and it all has to do with the reaction his son received after choosing to paint his nails.
Artist Doug Weaver detailed the story on TikTok.
Weaver, who you can find @dougweaverart on both TikTok and Instagram , shared a video in which he explained the scenario.
There really isn’t much to it: his 6-year-old son wanted to paint his fingernails, so Doug helped him paint them.
Things changed after his son went to school.
“On Monday, he came home from school and told us that three of the kids in his class told him that painting your nails is for girls,” Doug explained. “He told them that nothing is just for boys or just for girls.”
His son has a good head on his shoulders.
“He started telling one of the other ones that he also thinks that it’s okay for boys to paint their nails,” Doug continued. “Way to go, that kid! I know his mom, and I know she’d be super proud of him … so I’m definitely going to let her know.”
Some kids noticed, others didn’t.
Doug explains that there are 11 kids in his son’s class. He asked his son what the other kids — the ones who didn’t point out the nail polish — thought.
“He said, ‘Well, they didn’t even notice my nails were painted.’ So we talked about how there’s always someone who wants you to change something about yourself to be more like them or be more like what they think you should be,” he said. “But for every one of those people, there are two, three or four other people that like you just the way you are.”
Some commenters weren’t having it.
Whether it’s due to concern for their kids standing out and potentially getting bullied, or a genuinely inflexible notion of gender norms, not every commenter was on Doug’s side on this one. With hundreds of thousands of views, it’s no surprise that the video sparked a lively discussion.
Most people supported his stance.
There’s a fine line between protecting your kid from bullying and allowing them to express their true self. Doug walked this line expertly by allowing his son to do things his way, and then talking with him about people’s reactions afterwards.
It’s a powerful lesson for parents.
For the first few years of a kid’s life, they’re barely out of the sight of parents. But at a certain point, they’re going to go to daycare or school, where, in some ways, they’ll fend for themselves. Doug has given his son the proper context for understanding his classmates while allowing him to do his own thing.
Here’s the full video.
We’ve summarized it in this article, but the video is still worth a watch — not just to hear the story in Doug’s own words, but to see in his eyes the love he has for his son.
Parents, what do you think?
Have you had an experience where your kid has defied gender norms? How did you react? Let us know what you think of Doug’s story, and share some stories of your own, in the comments section.
