As evolved as we'd like to believe we are, the truth of our characters comes out when we learn or even perceive that our children have been wronged. We’re hard-wired to protect our kids. And that extends well beyond physical danger. We want to shield them from the emotional hurts that come along with growing up and interacting with others as much as we can.
One father, Christian Hardwick, who has proudly dubbed himself “Petty Dad” on social media, proved just how far one parent will go to advocate for their child.
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The 'beef' began with a child who wouldn't share.
The saga began like so many childhood stories. A neighborhood kid got a new toy and refused to share. And when this Petty Dad learned of the news, he decided to take action. He documented the whole story on TikTok for millions of people to watch and weigh in on.
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The dad decided to one-up this girl.
In a caption, the father explains that the girl down the street got a $20 inflatable pool from Dollar General. But when his two daughters asked to play in it with her, she iced them out. “So now I got beef with an 8-year-old,” Petty Dad writes.
The video in the background shows him shopping on Amazon. He looked at a pool that would rival a water park ride. It cost $899.99. The video ends with his mouse hovering over the "buy now" button. The end of the caption reads, “Can’t wait until she asks if she can play.”
Millions tuned in to see how the story would end.
From the outset, viewers were invested in the story. The initial video garnered over 24 million views. Later, Petty Dad shared that he opted for a cheaper model so his younger son could also join in on the fun with his sisters. The new pool was a steal at $582.85. When the pool finally did arrive, it was pouring rain outside, so he couldn’t set it up right away.
Viewers also wanted the little neighborhood girl to pay.
On the next dry day, Petty Dad set up the pool with some help. And as promised, his toddler son was able to enjoy the pool along with his big sisters. The loyal and engaged following on TikTok rejoiced.
"Definiton of 'daddy got my back,'" one user wrote.
“I know little miss girl from down the street is SICK,” another commented.
Petty Dad's daughter decided to operate in kindness.
Thankfully, Petty Dad’s daughters were much kinder than the adults on the internet. In one of the last videos of what became a series, one of Christian’s daughters asked a question. “Can we ask if the other girls can come over and play in the pool with us?” she says wrapped in a towel, sitting on her dad’s lap.
He decided to get some clarification: “The ones that were mean to you and wouldn’t let you swim?” he asks. The girl nods yes. “Are you sure you want to do that? Why?” “Can I give them another chance?” the girl asks. He tells her, "It’s completely up to you, this is your pool. Do you want to do that?” She says yes, emphatically.
Beautiful. Even though this dad is petty, it seems that he’s raised his daughters to be better. We love to see it.
