A father has been praised online after sharing how he’s teaching his daughters about the respect they deserve when entering the dating world.
In the video series posted on Instagram and TikTok, father of two Eric Taylor shares the lessons he gives his daughters, age four and six, inspired by the “dusty son” TikTok trend. The viral trend was first debuted by TikTok user Payal Desai, who posts videos about what she teaches her son so he’ll be thoughtful and respectful to his own partner in the future.
Taylor has taken a different approach to the trend, by showing his daughters how their future partners should be treating them instead. For example, the 34-year-old father could be seen in one clip tucking his child into bed, before the camera zoomed in on his face.
He explained that he doesn’t want his daughters to date men who won’t validate their feelings, referring to these potential suitors as “dusty sons”.
“Addressing my daughter’s emotions so she knows your dusty son better not try to just tell her to ‘calm down,’” he wrote in the text over the video. In the caption, Taylor encouraged men to never tell their female partners to “calm down” because it “dismisses her feelings”.
“Never do that, her emotions are valid and deserve to be voiced and heard,” he wrote. “Second, it doesn’t work! Just gonna actually set her off, so take the time to understand her mind my guy.”
In a second video, Taylor could be seen putting on an apron in a store and looking intensely at the camera. For this lesson, he wrote: “Vibing with the kitchen section at Home Goods so your dusty son better knows cooking ain’t just a woman’s job.”
He furthered his point in the caption, noting that the kitchen is “all around quality time” for the entire family, and that it’s “not just the woman’s job to feed the family”.
In another clip from the dating lessons video series, Taylor wrote: “Teaching my daughter that she’s a lot more than just beauty so your dusty son won’t impress her with a basic pickup line.”
Not only is Taylor teaching his daughters lessons about dating in the futre, but the video series has even made him more aware of his own decisions and how his choices can impact his children. In one video, he expressed: “Taking responsibility for my feelings so my daughter knows you dusty son better not blame her for his anger.”
“Addressing my dusty qualities and changing for my daughter so I’m a launching pad and not a roadblock in her life,” he said in another clip.
A viral video posted in June, which has more than one million likes, showed Taylor enjoying a tea party with his children. “Attending tea parties with my daughter so your dusty son don’t try to impress her with Golden Corral,” he wrote.
However, each caption of his videos has included a disclaimer, in which Taylor tells mothers that he appreciates the work they’ve done in raising their own sons. He also acknowledged that as a parent of two daughters, there are “deeper roots” to his video series.
“There are deeper roots to this series, mainly me and too many men growing up dusty boys and learning better than my dusty dad who never showed,” Taylor captioned his viral Instagram post. “I’m raising my daughters to rise up out the dust, to be their best, and know that they deserve the best. Learn to laugh, offense shouldn’t be taken if it’s not meant.”
In the comments of his videos, many viewers have praised Taylor for showing his daughters what expectations should be set when dating men.
“I’m a mom of boys. Absolutely not offended. Just genuinely happy for women of the generation who are being raised to have higher standards and know their worth,” one wrote. “Good job, dad.”
“A girl’s father is the first man she will ever love, keep setting the standards high,” another added.
Other parents shared what they’re teaching their young sons, while noting that these lessons could ultimately shape who their children are in the future.
“Teaching my son to do his own laundry, cook actual meals, clean, how to budget, and be a good human. Anyone mad about this man teaching his daughters to know and value their worth needs to examine that anger with a licensed therapist,” one user wrote.
“Teaching my boys to learn how to communicate so that your daughters don’t have to feel neglected, rejected and disrespected... As well as cook for themselves, clean the house, do laundry, pay the bills, take care of their hygiene and physical appearance,” another wrote.
A third added: “I’m a boy mom and best believe at 11, this kid helps clean the house, is raised to be respectful but honour his own boundaries, taught how to cook and do laundry. Also taught not to be a pushover but to treat women with respect.”
Speaking toBuzzFeed, Taylor explained that he not only wants his children to “know how to respect” others, but he also wants them to “know that they deserve respect”.
“I want them to understand love, so it doesn’t get confused with anything else this world tries to fake it with. I want them to know they are powerful and brave, so they can make their own way in the world,” he said.
He also claimed that “many of us, and more often women” are raised to believe that receiving the bare minimum from a partner is to be expected. After he expressed that “many men are raised without enough expectations of themselves and the women they come across”, Taylor acknowledged that he wants his children to be mindful of men’s behaviours when dating.
“I want my girls to have the emotional intelligence to recognise the good and bad that can come from relationships with these types of men in the future,” he added. “I want them prepared, knowing their worth, and living in joy because they are with someone who is doing the work required to make a home run well.”
The Independent has contacted Taylor for comment.
