A father has found himself in hot water after sharing a video of his young son dancing at a concert.
What was supposed to be a wonderful moment captured was marred by the words the father chose to accompany his video.
Many viewers disagreed with the point he was trying to convey.
The father shared that he would “return the instrument set” he received for his son after singing and dancing at the concert.
TikTok user @thatonedudejim posted a video of her son, who is around four or five years old, singing and dancing at a concert the two attended recently.
In the video, which has garnered more than 5 million views in just one day, the little boy sings his heart out to Little Mix’s No More Sad Songs and dances excitedly to the music.
He enunciates each word and waves his arms in the air, turning to face the camera at one point as he dances from side to side with his hand over his heart.
“I think it’s safe to say I’ll be returning the tool kit I got my son for Christmas,” the man wrote in the video’s text box, implying that his son is more interested in stereotypically “feminine with actions such as: music, dance and song.
TikTok users were quick to call out the father for his seemingly inappropriate choice of words.
Many of them stated that it was acceptable for their son to enjoy singing, dancing, and playing instruments.
“She can dance sing and use instruments,” one user commented.
“Or you can keep the instrument set and also let him dance and enjoy the music he likes. They don’t need to exclude each other,” said another user.
“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 and didn’t imply that he was going to stifle his interests; if anything, he seemed to adopt his son’s preferred expression.
However, users urged the father to avoid putting unnecessary labels on his son.
“Why does everyone immediately put labels, he feels it. That doesn’t make him one way or another.” one user wrote:
“Can I just ask why it’s an assumption? The fact that she likes little mixes and dances to enjoy the music means nothing… another pointed out.
“WOW I can’t believe in 2023 someone wrote this on such an innocent video. Since when does owning a toolkit prove anything about anyone?’ another entered.
Others praised the little boy’s singing and dancing abilities.
“He’s a performer. The world remembers Queen, Michael Jackson, Elvis… No one ever holds an instrument in their hand,” commented one of the users. “Don’t dim him, let him shine.”
Singing and dancing are actually beneficial for developing children because these skills engage the brain, enhance understanding of language and sound, and allow them to express their emotions and feelings.
Gender does not determine her interests or passions. You can sing your heart out while fixing a tire on your car.
There is no need to slap the labels of “feminine” and “masculine” on activities that one can enjoy participating in.
Megan Quinn is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love and relationships.
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