The man who took a part-time job at his daughter's workplace to stop her getting lonely has said their bond is now stronger, with the move creating new memories he can "fondly look back on."
Astyn Culp, 19, began working at the Food Lion Grocery Store in Newport, North Carolina in 2021. However, the business has struggled to hire reliable staff, with the teen often working alone with additional duties. So her father, James Culp, decided to help out.
"I knew I could bring some stability to her work life and reduce some of the stress she feels by having to cover shifts by herself," James Culp, 42, told Newsweek.
James and Astyn Culp have always had a close relationship. He was 22 years old when Astyn was born and a stay-at-home dad until she started school. Now the director of a child development center, James Culp currently works 25 hours a week at the store with his daughter.
Manning the deli counter, his duties include stocking food, making sandwiches and salads, doing dishes and keeping the area clean.
"Everyone calls me dad," he said. "I often wonder what the customers think."
Although many teens would die at the thought of working alongside their parents, Astyn Culp was thrilled that her dad got the job.
"I was ecstatic," she told Newsweek. "My dad and I are best friends so it's really awesome working with him."
James Culp said he and Astyn Culp are both "goofy and obnoxious," so working together comes naturally to them.
"We're able to joke around, but also ensure all of the cleaning and packaging things and tagging items gets done for the night," said Astyn Culp.
"I feel like it's a weight off my shoulders when I'm working with him because I know I can rely on him to get stuff done."
Although shifts in a busy store can be tough, she finds her role "extremely rewarding" and enjoys working alongside her dad and colleagues.
"They are without a doubt my favorite part of the job," she said.
James Culp said the role has also allowed him to see a different side of his daughter.
"She has more confidence and just an overall command of her position and job knowledge that I am fortunate to get to experience," he said.
James Culp shared a snap of him and Astyn Culp working together at the deli to Reddit's MadeMeSmile sub. The adorable duo quickly went viral, with the post receiving almost 13,000 upvotes.
"So cute," said RobinandtheRaven.
"Super dad!" wrote tlf123456.
"If this isn't one of the best things I've seen on the internet in a long while," said Quick_Movie_5758.
"This girl [is] very lucky," agreed Professional-Cup-611.
"Since she's got seniority over you does that mean she is in charge when it's just you two?" asked mudturnspadlocks. To which JamesCulp replied: "She pretty much just has me do whatever makes her job easier."
"You're an amazing dad," commented chippin out. "Your daughter will absolutely cherish the moments she spent with you when she gets older."
Do you have funny or adorable pictures that 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
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
