parenting 101

Video of boy receiving a sewing machine for his ninth birthday goes viral on TikTok

Sam is a little boy who loves to sew
Sam was thrilled with his present (Photo: TikTok(

A video of a boy receiving a sewing machine for his ninth birthday has gone viral on TikTok. Since appearing online, it’s enjoyed over 2 million views and prompted thousands of comments.

Watch below.

@daddyfiles Happy birthday, Sammy. Sew amazing! #sewing #gender #parenting #genderroles #raisingboys #boyswhosew #singersewingmachine #toxicmasculinity ♬ original sound – Aaron

Sam, the boy in the video, loves painting his nails and sewing. His obvious delight at receiving the sewing machine has melted hearts. It also prompted plenty of praise for the man who posted the video: Sam’s father, Aaron Gouveia.

Many wished their parents had been so supportive of their passions when younger, even if those interests didn’t align with traditional gender roles.

“Thank you so much for letting him pursue his passions at such a young age 🥺 I wish my family did that…” was one well-liked comment from a viewer.

“Sewing is such a wonderful and important skill to have! That will take him so far 🤩” said another.

In a subsequent video, Aaron showed Sam was already putting the Singer to good use.

@daddyfiles Sam made a new bag & it’ll be part of #nyfashionweek! #sewing #sewtok #boyswhosew #parenting #kidssewing #samsewgood ♬ original sound – Aaron

Evolving as a dad

In another posting, Aaron posted a response to the video going viral.

The whole family (including his wife and all three of his sons), had been surprised at how popular it proved.

Aaron noted much of the praise went to his parenting skills, but he wanted to ensure Sam’s mom also received credit. He admitted he hadn’t always been so accepting but mom had encouraged him to change.

“I have to admit I do feel a little guilty because some of the comments have been like, ‘oh what a great, supportive dad’. Maybe it’s because it’s novel to see a dad advocate for things like sewing,” Aaron said.

“Because I got to tell you, years ago, my oldest son is 14. And I distinctly remember, years ago, when he was a baby, I was in my 20s, and she put him in pink socks. And I lost my mind. I said ‘What are you going to do? People are going to think he’s gay!’ Cos he had pink socks on.

“I was that guy. I’m not that guy anymore. I’ve changed a lot. But I’ve only changed because of my wife, first and foremost. And then all of the friends I’ve made and the people who’ve set me straight. I’m a convert, but my wife was always on the right side of this.”

Related: The Internet is all aswirl because Justin Trudeau’s son wore a pink dress

“In a perfect world, this wouldn’t rate as news”

This is not the first time Aaron and Sam have gone viral. When Sam was four, Aaron made a video about other kids being mean to him for wearing nail polish. Some far-right websites reported on the clip, prompting many negative comments.

“But this time around, the response has been 100% positive,” he told Queerty. “I think people are craving good news and wholesome content more than ever (especially after 2+ years of COVID) and Sam’s reaction to getting a sewing machine was just one of those.

“The irony is, in a perfect world, this wouldn’t rate as news because no one would bat an eyelash at a boy liking sewing because sewing should not have a freaking gender assigned to it,” he added. “I hope Sam’s video has played a small part in breaking down that stereotype and changing a handful of minds.”

Related: Mattel introduces series of gender-neutral dolls to ‘invite everyone in’

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