Man says he wants to return tool kit he got son for Christmas after recording him dancing at concert
A father found himself in hot water after sharing a video of his young son dancing at a concert.
What should have been an adorable moment captured was tainted by the words the father chose to accompany his video.
Many viewers disagreed with the point he was trying to convey.
The father said he wanted to ‘give back the tool kit’ he got his son after he recorded him singing and dancing at a concert.
TikTok user @thatonedudejim posted a video of his son, who appears to be around four or five years old, singing and dancing at a concert the two recently attended.
In the video, which has received over 5 million views in just one day, the little boy sings his heart out to the lyrics of “No More Sad Songs” by Little Mix and enthusiastically dances to the music beat.
He speaks every word and waves his hands in the air, at one point turning to face the camera as he dances from side to side with a hand over his heart.
“I think it’s safe to say I’m going to return the tool kit I got my son for Christmas,” the man wrote in a text box above the video, suggesting that his son seemed more interested in stereotypically ” feminine” activities such as music, dance and song.
TikTok users were quick to call out the father on his seemingly inappropriate choice of words.
Many of them pointed out that it was acceptable for his son to enjoy singing, dancing and instruments.
“He can dance sing and use tools,” one user commented.
“Or you can keep the tool kit and also let him dance and enjoy the music he likes? They don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” another user noted.
“KEEP THE TOOLS. He can build the set AND perform on it,” suggested another user.
In his father’s defense, he didn’t criticize his son’s dancing, nor did he imply that he wanted to stifle his interests—if anything, he seemed to embrace his son’s preferred form of expression.
Still, users urged the father to avoid placing unnecessary labels on his son.
“Why does everyone immediately put labels, he feels it! It doesn’t make him one way or the other!” wrote a user.
“May I just ask, why is there an assumption? The fact that he likes little mixes and dances to enjoy music doesn’t matter…?” another pointed out.
“WOW I can’t believe in 2023 someone wrote this on such an innocent video. Since when does having a tool kit prove anything about someone?” another called in.
Others praised the little boy’s singing and dancing skills.
“He’s a performer. The world remembers Queen, Michael Jackson, Elvis… Never one to hold a tool,” commented one user. “Don’t mute him, let him shine.”
Singing and dancing are actually beneficial for children’s development, as these skills engage the brain, improve understanding of language and sound, and allow them to express their feelings and emotions.
One’s gender does not determine their interests or passions. It is possible to sing your heart out while fixing a tire on your car.
There is no need to slap “feminine” and “masculine” labels on activities that anyone could enjoy participating in.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango covering entertainment and news, self, love and relationships.
