Social media users have applauded a dad who clearly takes his playtime role very seriously after a clip of him being a cashier for his young daughter went viral on TikTok.
Girl dad Mike Eddinger may not be walking any red carpets this award season, but he certainly deserves applause for his hilarious acting while playing with his daughter. Mike doesn't hold back when his 3-year-old tells him what role he's going to play next. Whether it's the cashier, the customer, or the manager—you know he's going to rock it.
As she watches her daughter and husband play like this every night at their Pennsylvania home, Erin Eddinger told Newsweek that she will "always laugh at how ridiculous he is." But Mike is certainly not a one-trick pony, as he creates a whole new persona for each character he plays, and he's developed quite an extensive repertoire.
"They play like this all the time. This was truly just another night in our house," Eddinger said. "They switch back and forth between who is the customer and the cashier, and my husband always has different accents. Sometimes when he really gets going, I start recording."
After witnessing one of their most recent performances, Eddinger posted a video on TikTok (@erinclark164) to share her husband's talents with her social media followers. The video of Mike taking playtime "very seriously" was an instant hit, and it's already been viewed more than 17.2 million times and received over 1.6 million likes.
Not only do Mike and his daughter have tons of fun when they play games like this one, they're also fostering healthy habits. According to research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology in 2022, role play can be hugely beneficial for a child's development. Coming up with new games can help improve a child's language and planning skills, all while keeping it fun and entertaining.
The study found that role-play can prepare a child for present and future situations as they learn the complexities and the actions required in new contexts.
How Did Social Media React?
Eddinger has become accustomed to seeing her husband act out his role so professionally, but she was completely surprised by the response to her video online. She told Newsweek that she is "absolutely blown away by the social media response and never expected this many people to see it."
She often shares the clips of Mike's play-acting with her friends and family, but this time she couldn't resist sharing it with the world, too. Those who don't take playtime this seriously have been put to shame—and they definitely need to up their game if they want to compete with Mike.
"Mike just loves to see our daughter laugh and have fun, and it makes us really happy that so many people have found joy from the video. It was completely unexpected that so many people would comment, and they've been overwhelmingly positive and so kind," Eddinger said.
With more than 20,100 comments on the video at the time of writing, Mike has earned plenty of praise for his theatrics, as one person dubbed him "dad of the year."
Another person joked: "Was the toy for her or him? He living his childhood dream."
While another TikToker commented: "He's giving the dad on Bluey," referring to the animated kids' show.
Do you have any funny and adorable parenting videos you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alyce Collins is a Newsweek Life and Trends reporter based in Birmingham, U.K. with a focus on trending topics that ... Read more
