In a world where people often criticize others, kids are sadly not left out. One good way to help them is by teaching them to stand up for themselves when criticized. These issues, like gender stereotypes and body image, are still a problem today.
Loving dad Aaron Gouveia shared a story on TikTok in September 2023, using the name @daddyfiles. His 7-year-old son, Tommy Gouveia, stood up against gender stereotypes at school after a woman scolded him for wearing nail polish. This wasn’t the first time Aaron, a father of three boys, talked about people questioning his children’s love for nail polish.
In October 2018, Tommy’s brother, Sam Gouveia, was also teased at school for having polished nails. According to ABC, Aaron told GMA that his 5-year-old son came home from kindergarten crying after kids at school told him to “take that off.”
Aaron said that before this happened, Sam was happy wearing nail polish because his grandmother, a manicurist, often did his nails. In a tweet that was later deleted, Aaron expressed his anger about how his son learned about toxic masculinity.
This incident made Sam feel bad, and he wanted to remove the nail polish. However, after reading encouraging comments from men online, Sam regained his confidence. He went back to kindergarten with nail polish and “a little bit of glitter on it.”
Unlike his brother Sam, Tommy didn’t hesitate to respond to criticisms about his nail polish. The video began with Tommy standing in front of their home, wearing a navy blue football jersey.
In the video, Aaron encouraged Tommy to show his nails to the camera. Tommy, 7 years old, proudly lifted his hands to reveal his dark blue nail polish, which matched his uniform. After showing off his nails, Aaron asked Tommy, “What happened at football today?” Tommy confidently shared “Someone’s mom told their kid that girls can only wear nail polish.”
Aaron further questioned his son, ” And what did you say?” Tommy shared his impressive response, “I said, ‘Your mom’s only mad ’cause I got more taste than you.'”
Aaron was impressed and praised Tommy, then addressed the general public, explaining, “Anyone can wear nail polish, even football players, even baseball players, anybody.”
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Tommy’s confidence received widespread praise on social media. One person commented, “YESSS, if I had that mindset at this age, my life would’ve been so much better.” Another wrote, “Way to go, bud! Wish I had that much confidence when I was in school!” Someone else added, “Kids like this guy give me hope for the future. What a great dad!”
Criticizing children can hurt their self-esteem and damage their confidence as they grow up. Parents need to teach their kids to have unshakable confidence to navigate a world that will always have critics.
Isn’t it amazing how little Tommy defied stereotypes? What are some other ways you think kids’ confidence can be boosted? Share your thoughts and be sure to pass this along to others.