This Dad Talking His Daughter Through A Skateboarding Fall Is Parenting Goals
He remained calm after his daughter took a hard fall said just the right thing to get her back on the board.
There is definitely something different about millennial dads, and it’s not just a hunch that they’re more present and involved with their kids — it’s actual scientific fact.
Millennial fathers ages 23 to 38 are more involved than ever before. Nearly four times as many fathers as in the 1990s now take paternity leave after the birth of a child, according to a 2017 Ohio State University study. And it’s not just their physical presence that is becoming more prevalent.
More dads are tossing away the “tough it out; don’t cry” culture of the past for a more gentle — and more effective — approach. One dad in particular is being praised all over the internet for his sweet, gentle disposition with his daughter after she struggles to find courage after a bad fall while skateboarding.
Not only does he help her recover and respect her feelings and autonomy — he also gets her to nail her skateboarding goal.
In a now-viral video, Robert is shown teaching his daughter Aubrin how to skateboard on a mini-half pipe when she takes a bad fall. Robert immediately runs in to grab her, hugs her and asks, "Did it scare you, or did it hurt you?" He remains calm during the girl’s crying and evaluates her body even though he claimed he was shaking inside.
"Seeing her slam sucks the air out of my lungs and my heart drops but I just try to stay calm and redirect with some questions or comments while surveying the situation," he wrote on Instagram.
After making sure she’s okay, he works to build her confidence back up. "The drop-in was amazing," he says.
Aubrin still seems unsure despite her dad’s compliment. “What if I fall again?” she asks. “I’m kind of scared … and I really want to do it.”
This is when Robert steps in with some core-memory advice that Aubrin will remember for years to come. “Sometimes it’s scary doing hard things,” he tells her. “And it’s totally up to you whether you want to give it [another] go right now.”
When she reiterates to her dad that she is still pretty scared to try again, Robert reminds her that there is no pressure to keep going if she is tapped out. “You don’t have to do this,” he reminds her.
“I want to,” she replies.
Aubrin keeps trying the drop in with her dad right there, ready to jump in and catch her if she falls. Robert noted in his Instagram post that it was important for him to “re-gain her trust” and “re-establish her confidence after [the] slam.”
He added that children are so often influenced by a parent's reaction to a situation, and he has a "goal to remove my influence and allow her to just be, to feel, to hurt at her pace ...”
After several tries, Aubrin begins to skate the ramp on her own with confidence as her dad watches on, beaming at his daughter’s bravery.
“It’s classic comeback story of falling and getting back up to try again, which is something that everyone has encountered in their own lives,” Robert told TODAY Parents. Robert said he’s been “inundated” with messages from viewers of the video, telling him they wish they’d had a dad like him growing up.
“The message is clear: We have to do better,” he continued. “Our actions during this crucial and short stretch of time have lasting effects on our children that ripple through future families and generations.” Preach, Robert!
This isn’t the first time the pair has gone viral. You might remember Aubrin from a series of snowboarding videos in which she’s dressed as a dinosaur and mic’ed up — so that everyone can hear her positive self-talk as she navigates the slopes and learns the sport.
“I won’t fall! Maybe I will! That’s okay! Because we all fall!” she sings as she practices.
Not sure who is more inspiring: Aubrin or her dad.
