Dad puts toddler's loyalty to the test to check if they are 'still best friends' and he aced it

The father-son bond is often sealed with love, trust and unconditional devotion that evolves through life's journey. While fathers might not be as expressive as mothers when it comes to showing emotions, they are always ready to step up as friends in times of need. A similar heart-touching story of friendship was witnessed between Justin Waters and his son, Cooper. The little boy had to take a loyalty test because his daddy dearest wanted to ensure their friendship was intact. The wholesome TikTok video was shared by Waters' wife Makenzie Waters (@makwaters) and gained a lot of popularity with over 8 million views online.

The beautiful video unfolded in a living room setup where Waters sat with his son, Cooper, in front of the television. What initially looked like a typical chilling day for the father-son duo, soon turned into a loyalty test for the young child. While the father restlessly switched his positions on the sofa, deliberately moving away from his son, the kid passed the loyalty test with flying colors as he followed his daddy like a magnet following its true pole. What makes this video a little extra special is not the small boy's physical proximity to his father, but also the emotional landscape it reveals.

While the heart-touching video unfolded on the screen, the text overlay read, "Making sure we're still best friends." Those 64 seconds of the clip captured a profound truth about parenting - that love is an active, continuous process of connection and reassurance. The TikTok video saw an overwhelming response from people with several netizens calling the little boy a "velcro baby" - a term used to refer to babies who are usually clingy and require constant physical proximity or attention.

@selfloveandserenity commented, "I love seeing a dad with a velcro child. You don't see it often so I just know he's a great dad." @_rubenalvarado wrote, "I love that he doesn’t interpret this as 'Dad doesn’t want me around', but more like 'Alrighty, new spot. Cool!'" Similarly, @wianichomi commented, "Confirmation confirmed, now stay and don't move again. I'm losing it on his behalf."

The video also resonated with many parents who had similar experiences with their kids. For instance, @greatscot_ wrote, "My son still does this. He’s 28." On the other hand, @_aaronleech91 shared how both his kids are total opposites and wrote, "My eldest is nearly 9 and she’s still a velcro baby with me. My youngest can’t stand the sight of me and is mummy’s little shadow." @mokoena90_ commented, "Best friends forever, but what were you watching because the little guy can't get his eyes off it."@itsprobablyalan wrote, "The first time was cute. The second time I thought was cheeky. This third time I am enraged. Snuggle that baby!"

Recently, Waters put his little bundle of joy under the test once again. However, to everyone's surprise, his son sailed through the loyalty test this time too, proving his unconditional love for his father. In the same living room setup, Waters intentionally moved away from Cooper but like the last time, his son followed him, making people's hearts flutter on the internet. But wait. That's not it! The adorable little pat on his father's chest further revealed the purity of the special friendship that the duo shared. 

You can follow Makenzie Waters (@makenziewaters) on TikTok for more parenting content.