Every first day of school, from kindergarten to senior year, a thoughtful dad interviewed his daughter. Now that she’s approaching graduation, the proud father compiled the years of interviews into a heartfelt TikTok that has been viewed over 37 million times.
The dad shared the ‘interviews’ he did with his daughter every first day of school now that she’s a senior.
“I interviewed my daughter on every first day of school,” the dad, Ray Petelin, wrote over his video. “We just did the last one.”
The sentimental video showed her growth from a youngster in kindergarten into a young adult preparing to enter her final year of high school. It also captured her answers to various questions, like what she wanted to be when she grew up, which over the years included a doctor, teacher, magician, waitress, baker, and finally physical therapist or nurse.
But the heartwarming video did more than simply show the girl growing up. It captured the clear bond between the father and daughter.
In every video, he assured the young girl that “Mommy and Daddy” love her and are rooting for her to have a great school year. “I’m so proud of this young woman,” he captioned the video.
Laughing, smiling, and talking together throughout the years, it’s clear he did a wonderful job parenting her — giving her endless support, love, and kindness, even in the most difficult years of school.
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Of course, the dad isn’t the only one getting emotional over the video.
The love of this father-daughter duo radiated through the screen, prompting thousands to reflect on their own lives and relationships with their parents — more specifically, the effort and dedication a video series like this entails.
Commenters were equally sappy and sorrowful over the video, urging more parents to exemplify this dad’s effort and dedication.
“I’m so jealous of people who had parents like this,” one commenter honestly admitted under the post, adding that they fantasized about “who they could’ve been with supportive and loving role models.”
For many adult children, there’s a sense of resentment underlying their relationship with their parents. Whether it was a lack of time together, an inconsistent presence, or a poor emotional bond, they’re still grieving the parents they wished they had growing up.
An alarming study from Princeton revealed that more than 40% of children don’t have significant emotional bonds with their parents, whether that’s a consequence of poor parenting, financial stress, or even time constraints with working parents. Unfortunately, this void of emotional support and love often carries over into adulthood.
Children who were loved unconditionally, with parents who put in the effort to ensure they felt supported, often harbor healthier relationships in adulthood as they were taught how to love, support, and expect healthy communication. The effort and care demonstrated by their parents are reflected in their later expectations of their partners.
So, let this sentimental TikTok serve as a humbling reminder for parents to be present for their kids in whatever way that looks like.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories
