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Joy

Dad's sweet video shows the 'unsung benefits' of reliving his childhood with his son

Nostalgic, relatable and poignant all at the same time.

parenting, kids, fatherhood
@parental_with_me/TikTok

"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.

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In 1997, ecologists Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs approached an orange juice company in Costa Rica with an off-the-wall idea.

In exchange for donating a portion of unspoiled, forested land to the Área de Conservación Guanacaste — a nature preserve in the country's northwest — the park would allow the company to dump its discarded orange peels and pulp, free of charge, in a heavily grazed, largely deforested area nearby.

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Mom's video on why parents should give their kids adult names, not baby names, has parents debating

Over 11 million people have watched the video.

via rubyyvillarreal/TikTok and Adele Morris/Pixabay

Parents are debating over whether to give children "adult" or "baby" names.

The names we choose to give our children can significantly impact their lives. Multiple studies from across the globe have found that a person’s name can influence their employment, social and economic outcomes.

Unfortunately, humans make snap judgments about one another, and having an unusual name can lead people to make unflattering assumptions. “We’re hardwired to try to figure out in a heartbeat whether or not we want to trust somebody, whether we want to run from somebody,” Northwestern University researcher David Figlio said, according to Live Science.

However, an increasing number of parents are giving their children non-traditional names to help them stand out. “Parents are trying to be original, almost branding their kids in an era where names are viewed on the same level as Twitter handles or a website URL,” writer Sabrina Rogers-Anderson said.

Ruby, a mother on TikTok, took a hard stance on parents giving their children names that sound childish in a post that’s received over 11 million views. Ruby says she named her kids as “adults, not babies” hoping they would never “outgrow” their names.

@rubyyvillarreal

#stitch with @nikkiruble love having nicknames as they are younger and it doesnt mean they will perfer it over their name as they get older. Just gives them options 🤷🏻‍♀️ #nicknames #babynames #babytok #adultnames #pregnancytiktok #toddlersoftiktok #momtok #momlife #babynames #babyname

“The whole concept when I was trying to look for a name and choose a name for her is I did not want her to outgrow her name,” she said in the viral video. “I wanted the name to fit her as a baby, as a toddler, as a child, and into adulthood. So, it's like I really am happy with what I ended up with naming her and it just fits her so well.”

She captioned the video, “love having nicknames as they are younger and it doesn’t mean they will prefer it over their name as they get older. Just gives them options.”

People in the comments responded with modern names they think that kids will outgrow.

"My name is Koazy and I’m here for a job interview," Stalker joked. "Hello sir, I am Bluey Mason Garrison! I was called in for a job interview last Tuesday," Pastel Purr added.

"I can’t imagine knowing [a] 30-year-old named Emma or Posie," Mikey wrote.

However, a lot of people commented that names that seem like they’ll be outgrown will sound fine in the future when those names are popular with the new generation. “Kids grow up with their generation having their own names on trend. They will be normal adult names when they are grown,” Kerry wrote.

“Names grow with the generation,” Lauren added. “The name Dennis sounded like a baby name once too. Names grow up just like generations.”

@rubyyvillarreal

Replying to @19eighty_5 my kids name and the process 😬 #babynames #nicknames #babytok #adultnames #momsoftiktok #momlife #momtok #pregnancytiktok #toddlersoftiktok #babyname #babyfever

In a follow-up video, Ruby shared the names she gave her children. Her girl is named Karla Esmerelda and her boy is called Deluca.

“I just really liked how simple, how bold, and strong that the name by itself just really kind of is. Doing some research names with the letter K tend to be like very bold and powerful names, so I really wanted it with a K and not with a C,” she said.

She named her son Deluca, after a doctor on “Grey’s Anatomy.” She said she chose the name because there was nothing to connect it to, and it sounded “nice.”


This article originally appeared on 4.26.23

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