Dad-son duo’s viral videos show how learning can be fun in the best way
What’s the best way to teach your child the ABCs or the months of the year? For this dad, it's all in dance and fun.
What’s the best way to teach your child the ABCs or the months of the year? For this dad, it was by coming up with hilarious in-sync song-and-dance routines to backdrop trap music.
At least that’s the method that Stanley Freeland came up with as a fun way to help his son with his learning. The Atlanta-based father regularly posts videos of he and his 4-year-old son Josiah to Instagram (@father_like_sonent2404).
In some of the videos, the pair even goes as far to wear matching outfits while rapping and busting out dance moves. And Josiah’s face lets on — he’s pretty excited to be learning alongside his dad.
Freeland isn’t just using his page to show the world the lessons that he is teaching his son, but also as a way to reach and urge other fathers to cultivate and build strong relationships with their children by doing activities together.
In an interview with theGrio for our #ThisIsBlackFatherhood series, Freeland shares how fatherhood has changed him and the lessons he has learned along the way.
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TG: When did you become a father?
SF: On March 9, 2013, I became a father. I have one child; his name is Josiah, and he’s 4Â years old.
TG: What is fatherhood to you?
SF: Fatherhood means standing up for what you know and who you know you are, taking care of your responsibilities and really reflecting on your time with your child to figure out what brings out the good in the father and child relationship.
TG: Has fatherhood changed you?
SF: Yes, fatherhood has changed me! It has matured and molded me into the guy that I am today. I knew I had to tighten up my belt a notch because I knew I had another me being born and would have to be raised.
TG: What’s the biggest lessons you have learned since being a father?
SF: One, the greatest lesson I’ve learned is that being a father is a blessing. Two, that it’s time to take care of your child and love them. I also learned that a father should take care of his responsibilities. He’s there no matter what the situation is between the child and his father.
He’s there to follow through on his daddy duties.
TG: Did your father have a big presence in your life?
SF: Yes, he has been the biggest presence in my life since I was born. One lesson I learned from him was to treat people how you want to be treated. So I put that into action with my son. I want to treat him like I wanted to be treated and that’s to care for and love him.
