Viral Video Speaks to Critical Father-Child Communication Skills

By Gabriela Rojas
Family Support Manager, Children’s Council

In the last couple of weeks, a wonderful little video featuring a dad and young child having a sweet, completely nonsensical “conversation” has captured the imagination of people around the world. The video has garnered more than 40 million views across multiple media platforms.

Most of the comments are about how cute the video is, but I really think there is a lot more going on here. Before you watch the video (posted below), let me explain…

Even though the dad and child are in front of a TV, watching this parent engage with his child in such a developmentally appropriate way is so heartwarming — and interesting!

If I was a child care provider, classroom teacher or a home visitor, I would let dad know he is doing a wonderful job with his son. It is clear that they both are enjoying the exchange and so much more than language development is occurring.

When young children are securely attached to one or more significant caregivers — whether that is a parent, relative or child care provider/preschool teacher — their ability to develop critical cognitive and emotional skills is supported and can skyrocket.

In this video, you can see that the infant has receptive and expressive language. What sustains this back and forth interaction is Dad’s joint attention, his eye contact, smiles, hand gestures and changes in voice intonation.

Dad also pauses, allowing his infant time to respond verbally and non-verbally. Way to cue in Dad, we can’t wait to hear what more your boy has to say!

At Children’s Council, we are here for all moms AND dads! Whether you’re just starting your search for child care, or want to learn how to better communicate with your toddler like this dad, we’ve got a program for you. Click here to see our full list of programs and workshops.

Check out the video:

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