Seeing a child take that first step is a milestone for many parents. But sometimes, babies need a little extra help to get there. And it explains the numerous products available for purchase that help babies get up and going. But, this dad discovered a genius way to get his baby to walk and the only tool he used couldn't have costed more than $2.
So-called "parenting hacks" are quick to go viral — and for good reason. If it takes a village to raise a child, the internet is today's version of a parenting wisdom pow wow. Any tip or trick, such as this mom's viral baby bottle shower caddy hack, that is meant to simplify the many tedious tasks associated with bringing up little people — or save mom and dad a bit of money — is often met with gratefulness by the masses. As expected, these photos and videos get liked and shared to oblivion — thus a new and totally useful parenting hack is born.
In a video that first appeared on the user content site Imgur, one dad devised a way to avoid the painful necessity of constantly bending over to support a child learning to walk. Using only a hula hoop, he helps his baby get into a standing position and walk, almost independently, down the hall. The resulting video is not only impressively successful, but also seriously cute. This combination explains how the video has already gotten over 700,000 views in just one day.
As babies are learning to walk, their leg bones are straightening and strengthening. They are learning to lock and unlock their knees, and the habit to tip-toe is being broken, as Parents explained. There is a lot more going on than simply getting their land legs. For this reason, babies rely on objects or other people to remain upright.
There are plenty of baby walking aids available on the market for just this purpose, but many of them can get pretty pricey. By using something like an old hula hoop to serve the same purpose as say, "baby walking wings," the Imgur dad lessened the burden on both his back and the bank.
Many Imgur users commented on the video, pointing out this dad's brilliance. Once such commenter said:
Can't believe I never thought of that when my boys were teeny. Dad ingenuity for the win!
The requirements for a good parenting hack: simplicity, ease of execution, and cost effectiveness. This dad's hula hoop helper checks all of these boxes, as well as making for an adorable video. Dad ingenuity for the win, indeed.
