Refreshingly positive dad thanks teens for how they treated his son at the trampoline park
"These are the kind of kids we need to raise more of."
It’s far too common to hear parents talk about how hard it is to raise teenagers these days and that they are disrespectful and entitled. That’s why a viral video by Josh, 33, known on TikTok as TheBeardedBard, is so refreshing. Recently, Josh shared a video about how 2 random teenage boys helped his 7-year-old son have a great time at a Billings, Montana, trampoline park. He created the video to hopefully get the teenagers' attention and thank them for spending time with his son.
It all began when Josh took 5 kids (3 of his own and 2 of a friend) to the Get Air Trampoline Park. His 7-year-old son wandered off from the group and jumped alone when two older teenage boys began jumping with him.
"I noticed the boys playing with him probably a few minutes after they began," Josh told People. "They stayed with him ... for probably 45 minutes," Josh said. "And every time they did all the jumping with him, they made sure to catch him if he was going to fall. They were right on top of it."
Josh’s boy was having a great time with the teens and the cool thing was that they were having fun with him, too. "They had the best time. They were cracking up the whole time and helping him bounce higher. At one point, I think they were trying to help him flip. It was amazing," Josh says in the video.
@thebeardedbard You two were the real MVP’s yesterday. You rock. #getairtrampolinepark #billingsmt
TheBeardedBard also shared how important it is for older kids to set a good example for the younger ones and that teenagers deserve more credit than they are given these days. "This is the kind of people we need to be raising more of,” Josh said. "I don't know why people say teenagers are disrespectful. I think a lot of the time, they are misunderstood. But they definitely can be some of the coolest people on the planet."
The video did its job, attracting the attention of one of the teens who played with his son and his mother. "Thank you, it was a very fun time!" the teen wrote in the comments. “That’s my son,” his mother, Malia, added. “Makes me so proud, thank you.”
Many parents in the comments section added that they often see teenagers looking out for younger kids at skate and trampoline parks.
"Not only did they care enough to jump with him, they cared enough to make sure he was safe and not just mess around with him," Jumoout8 wrote. “No way! This happened to my son at the trampoline park the other day! He kept running up to me, ‘Mom, they said I’m doing a good job!' I cried," Emily Gould added.
Josh's story is a heartwarming reminder that when push comes to shove — or bounce comes to jump at the trampoline park — teenagers can be just as caring and compassionate as anyone. Kudos to the dad for sharing this touching moment with everyone and reminding them that there is a lot of good in this world; you just have to look in the right place.