Dad Gets Massive Praise Online For Defending His Son Who Got Bullied At School For Painting His Nails (Video)

It is not unusual for individuals to face verbal bullying at some point in their lives. Many young people are subjected to insults daily—whether at school or in social settings.

Initially, it can be difficult to determine whether the name-calling is joking or bullying. A young person experiencing this may feel intimidated or pressured not to make a fuss because others claim it's all in good fun. According to Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist, "Bullying can often be dismissed as harmless teasing, but it can have long-lasting effects on a child's self-esteem."

If it is a one-time occurrence, it could be taken as banter. However, if the name-calling becomes persistent and frequent, it is considered bullying.

A Missouri dad’s TikTok post demonstrated that gender norms and stereotypes remain sensitive subjects that tend to spark heated discussions on social media. Doug Weaver, an art teacher and a self-proclaimed "real cool guy," has gone viral after he opened up about an encounter between his 6-year-old son and his peers at school, who criticized the boy for wearing nail polish.

As the man revealed in the video, which has garnered more than a million views at the time of writing, his son simply wanted to paint his fingernails over the weekend, so they painted them together. However, after he returned from school on Monday, it turned out that several kids told him this was something only "for girls."

Doug Weaver went viral for speaking out about his son's encounter at school on TikTok

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In response, the boy said, "Nothing is just for boys or just for girls." Doug continued to share his thoughts on the matter, sparking a broader conversation and attempting to shift the narrative around gender norms.

The 34-year-old father, who has nearly 250,000 followers on TikTok, pointed out that it wasn’t the first time his son Finley, whom he described as "super creative," had painted or wanted to paint his nails.

Doug also emphasized how eager he felt to speak out about this situation on social media. Read the full story below.

We painted his nails

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Here is Doug Weaver's son

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What did they think of that?

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He also thinks it's okay

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The family with their painted nails

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Doug believes that speaking out and sparking conversations around this topic is an important step toward dismantling gender norms and societal ideas of "what is considered masculine by many people."

"I know how much pressure I felt when I was young to try to fit some kind of masculine image, and it wasn’t pressure from my family. It was just the pressure that exists, and now, seeing my son experience a lot of the same pressure that I did, but in a different scenario."

Three of them have an issue

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They didn't even notice my nails

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Father and son moment

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There are people who like you the way you are

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The Weaver Family

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The video had over a million views and you can watch it right here

Doug’s video sparked a serious debate in the comment section, illustrating how many people have differing opinions on the matter. However, the good thing is that an amazing number of viewers appreciated his approach and even shared their own personal experiences with fellow parents.

Sending some nail polish

Mr Williams

Great conversation

positivemasculinitynow

Such a great dad

Georgia Wohl

An amazing father

Levi we're all dudes....

No gender restrictions

Christine Wu Shiffermiller

They are all things

Kelli Stowers

Learning that from their parents

Ron Toye

Leave them to their style choices

Stephanie Hargon

Painting their nails

Katie Marr

His own parents were the bully

Coach Helen

Awesome dad, first off

Erica Lynn Williams

Let a kid be a kid

Kathy Morton Bunting Hoey

It's so much easier

Gigi Needs Coffee

Although some criticized the father for going along with his son's wishes, even though he knew it would likely garner unnecessary attention.

Being entitled to my opinion

Joi Holloman

Massive breakdown and destruction of morals

Teresa Enos

Guide your child from doing things

Kim Jensen Nacionales

Well, this was certainly an interesting story, and many people have differing views.

It is very hard to understand why someone would want to use insults toward others regularly, especially if they have been asked to stop. It is really difficult to grasp.

What are your thoughts on this sensitive topic? Let us know in the comments section.