She asked her single dad whether she was ever a burden. His six-word answer made her eyes well up

Being a single dad, especially to a girl child, is extremely challenging. Raising a daughter alone without a partner burdens one person with responsibilities that should otherwise be shared by two. On top of that, invasive societal pressure and difficult discussions make this parental journey even more demanding. Recently, a billboard songwriter, Joseph Fotu, who goes by Baby J (@babyj.42), faced a similar situation when his daughter, Baby Redemption (@babyredemption), asked him a serious question about being a single dad. Well, it seemed like the little girl felt she might be the cause of most of the life challenges her daddy goes through while raising her alone. However, all her fears vanished almost immediately when Baby J assured her with full honesty. His video, shared on June 1, 2026, has received over 700,000 views on Instagram.

It's worthwhile being your dad

“Is it hard raising me alone?” Red, Baby J's daughter, asked him the other day while they were in the car. Without having to think too much, the father replied that raising her alone was the easy part, the most fulfilling and joyful thing. “You are such a good kid,” he assured her and added, “But you know, if you find something worth sacrificing for, it’s always been my family, putting your guys’ dreams before mine and all that — it makes it worthwhile, because what else do we wake up for?"

'You are not a burden' 

Baby J explained to his daughter that she was never a burden, even when he was still married. "You have never been a burden... you will never be a burden," he added. The father urged his daughter to stop blaming herself for the difficult times he might have gone through in the past, because "life just sucks sometimes." The father again reassured Red that raising her was the difficult part. “Raising me alone is the hard part,” he added, and both cracked up in laughter.

Baby J's response left thousands of people bawling because, in reality, it isn’t as easy as he made it look with his words. According to a study published by the American Public Health Association, single dads experience a “great deal of stress” while having to manage everything, including the child’s financial needs, education, doctor appointments, and everyday life. There are approximately 2.96 million single-father households in the United States, making up 18.5% of single-parent families, per Zipdo. Statistics suggest that 65% of single dads report high stress from balancing work and parenting, 40% of single dads struggle with daily childcare logistics, and single dads have 30% higher depression rates than those who are married. 

'That’s a one-in-a-million dad right there'

Meanwhile, reacting to the dad-daughter's wholesome interaction, @wmace1321 remarked, “That is a dad speaking life into his child.” Similarly, @noe_noises said, “Admittance of your faults while still holding grace for your kids makes you the strongest man alive. That’s a one-in-a-million dad right there!” @onurhazinedar wrote, “You can tell she needed to hear that part where you say, 'You are not the cause of the problems; you are why they are bearable. ’"

You can follow Baby J (@babyj.42) on Instagram for more father-daughter videos and inspirational content.

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