A dad has found himself in hot water after sharing a video of his young son dancing at a concert.
What was supposed to be 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 shared that he would “return the set of tools” he got for his son after recording 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 garnered more than 5 million views in just one day, the little boy wholeheartedly sings the lyrics to Little Mix’s “No More Sad Songs” and dances excitedly to the beat of the music.
He speaks each word and waves his hands in the air, at one point turning to face the camera as he dances from side to side with one hand over his heart.
“I think it’s safe to say I’m going to return the tool set I got my son for Christmas,” the man wrote in a text box on the video, implying that her son seemed more interested in stereotypical “feminine” activities like music, dancing, and singing.
TikTok users were quick to call out the dad over his seemingly inappropriate choice of words.
Many of them pointed out that it was okay for her son to enjoy singing, dancing and using tools.
“He can dance, sing and use tools,” one user commented.
“Or you can keep the tool set and let him dance around and enjoy the music he loves? They don’t need to be mutually exclusive,” another user noted.
“KEEP THE TOOLS. He can build the set AND play on it,” another user suggested.
In the father’s defense, he didn’t criticize his son’s dancing or suggest he was going to stifle his interests – on the contrary, he seemed to embrace his son’s preferred form of expression.
Still, users encouraged the father to avoid placing unnecessary labels on his son.
“Why everyone instantly puts labels, he feels it! It doesn’t do it one way or another! a user wrote.
“Can I just ask why is there an assumption? The fact that he likes little mixes and dances to enjoy the music doesn’t mean anything…..? another pointed out.
“WOW, I can’t believe in 2023 someone wrote this on such an innocent video. Since when does having a set of tools prove anything about someone?” another chimed in.
Others praised the little boy’s singing and dancing abilities.
“He’s an interpreter. The world remembers Queen, Michael Jackson, Elvis…. No one ever holds a tool,” one user commented. “Don’t darken it, let it shine.”
Singing and dancing are actually beneficial for developing children because these skills engage the brain, improve understanding of language and sound, and allow them to express their emotions and feelings.
A person’s gender does not determine their interests or passions. It is possible to sing with all your heart while fixing a tire on your car.
There’s no need to put “feminine” and “masculine” labels on activities that everyone might like to participate in.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango covering entertainment and news, self, love and relationships.