Dad told his toddler 'I love you' expecting it back — his son hit him with a response he wasn’t ready for
Toddlers can be savage when parents least expect them to be. These moments end up with a dose of humor. A dad, who was going about his day doing household chores in the kitchen, casually told his toddler son, “I love you.” The kid’s humorous response, however, caught him off guard. The moment was captured on camera by his mother, Samantha Essig (@samantha.essig), and posted on TikTok on January 16, 2026. “This will forever be one of my favorite videos,” the mother wrote in the caption of the post. The video has garnered over 2.1 million views, and viewers are loving it.
@samantha.essig This will forever be one of my favorite videos @JJ ♬ original sound - Samantha Essig
The dad is heard asking, “Guess what?” to which the kid replied, “What?” “I love you,” the father said, but the kid had a shocking response. The child paused for a moment before giving a sassy response with a pinch of humor and confidence. He asked his dad, “Guess what daddy?” Now, the dad asked, “What?” and the child immediately said, “I love mommy.” Hearing the answer, the dad stood there in shock, completely stunned. The small moment mixed sass and sweetness, quickly went viral, with many viewers sharing their own experiences with kids. “I would immediately be like 'Santa isn’t real,' like now we’re both upset,” joked @ahoyshilohx. @fexy88 mentioned, "Dad missed an opportunity to say, 'I love mommy too.'" Meanwhile, @littlefircracker penned, "I tell you what, kids will say the sweetest things, but it's literally the most hurtful thing ever." @nourishmentbymo remarked, "This is my conversation every day with my kiddo, but she says she loves Dada. So yeah, same."
Toddlers keep on surprising with their unexpected responses and behaviors, leaving the adults confused. A study published on Vice found that toddlers are in a stage where they are learning how to communicate. They’re focused on what they know, rather than what others expect them to say, often turning out to be blunt and overly honest naturally. The study suggests that this response is a result of normal brain development, emerging language skills, and their still-forming understanding of social rules.
Kids not knowing how to lie to spare others' feelings often leads to hilarious moments. In another story, a South Carolina father was shocked when he found his six-year-old calmly holding his newborn brother. He expected a sweet moment and started recording, but his son's sassy response left him stunned. In the video posted on TikTok, he can be seen asking his young son what he is doing. The kid gave a savage reply and said, "Your job." The father was floored by the answer filled with humor and honesty.
You can follow @samantha.essig on TikTok for more videos.