Dad's sweet video shows the 'unsung benefits' of reliving his childhood with his son
Nostalgic, relatable and poignant all at the same time.

"It's awesome"
There comes a point in every person’s life when the toys, games, fantasy books, cartoons, all start to take up less space in our lives. Partially because of naturally changing interests, and also due to the responsibilities of adulthood setting in.
But then when we have kids, suddenly we are transported back to this magical time when play ruled our lives.
For a dad named Andrew, this is one of the biggest “unsung benefits” of parenthood, and he is ready to sing its praises.“You literally get to relive your childhood through play with them,” Andrew says as he lists some of his favorite staples, once only memories and now current pastimes with his son.
Things like playing with Play-Doh (can’t you instantly recall that distinct Play-doh smell?), shooting How Wheels cars down a plastic track, enjoying a swing set, and watching Pokémon.
Not only does it bring out his own inner child, Andrew, reflects, it also helps him connect with his son over shared interests.
“You get to watch this person that’s never experienced this thing that you loved start to love it themselves,” he reflects. “It’s awesome.”
@parental_with_me It’s a daily dose of nostalgia shared with little humans you love #dadtok #dadtoks #parentsoftiktok #parenting #dadlife #momtok #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #momlife @LEGO @Play-Doh @Hot Wheels ♬ Lofi Hip Hop - Danyko Beats Kream
Andrew’s video soon went viral on TikTok, and other parents couldn't help but share their own experiences of these “unsing benefits.”
“Halloween, Christmas, zoos, children’s museums, arcade, fireworks, everything that maybe lost a little magic as an adult gets all the magic back,” one person wrote.
Another added, “When my husband learned our two-year-old is in LOVE with Pokémon, never seen this man more happy and excited!”
One person even illustrated how the experience can be very healing for those whose parents never actually played with them, writing, , “Honestly aside from the OCCASIONAL game of monopoly as a family I don’t really remember my parents playing with me. My son will know different.”
In a follow-up video, Andrews noted that while of course these activities can be enjoyed for folks who wish to remain childless, the point he was trying to make is that there’s a different flavor of bliss that happens through the lens of being a parent.
@parental_with_me Replying to @Bingelyte Some quick thoughts on the ‘i can play all these as an adult without a kid’ crowd #dadtok #dadtoks #parentsoftiktok #parenting #dadlife #momtok #momsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #momlife ♬ original sound - Andrew
“It's less about how you're feeling about playing it as an adult and it's more about seeing them and how much they enjoy it and being a part of that experience for them” he said.
There is something to be said about sharing the experience with little humans who view the world in such a different way, which reminds us not only of what pure innocence actually feels like, but the divine gift of harboring the next generation of humanity. That’s undeniably special.
Here’s to all of us having the opportunity to see through the eyes of a child again. Be it through our own children, through nieces and nephews, through kids groups, or simply by busting out the toys without a second glance.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."