By Daniella GrayShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA dad of two is going viral for how he handled a conversation with his toddler son.
Jonathan David Denham (@jd_denham_fit) shared footage from his home Ring camera in a reel on Instagram after coming home to see his wife, Alyssa Denham, was visibly upset.
Their son, 4-year-old Jax, had been yelling, refusing to listen and being “disrespectful”, Denham told Newsweek.
...He didn’t witness the behavior firsthand, so he went into their son’s playroom where his wife had placed him to cool off.
To address the issue, the father spoke calmly to Jax and asked him why he was treating his mom like that.
Over time, Denham has learned that intensity doesn’t work for Jax. “He understands far more than most 4-year-olds and yelling at him and getting angry doesn’t work for him,” Denham said. “Slowing down, being calm, hugging him and then telling him what he did wrong and how he could fix it works far better.”
Denham talks to Jax about respect for his mom—and women in general—and reminds Jax that he can no longer speak to his own mother, who is no longer here.
“This approach was learned with some trial and error and learning his personality and what he responds to best,” Denham said. “He respects me, so I showed him I can be calm and let him know I don’t speak to his mother that way, and he will not be allowed to speak to her—or women—that way.”
Denham, who is also dad to 18-month-old Mason, said that his approach was not always his instinct.
“I have been sober for 15 years this January,” he explained. “I have learned through my sobriety, just to try and be a better person than I was the day before. I believe the father is the leader, foundation [and] refuge for his family to run to in times of uncertainty, fear or doubt. That means, when my children are upset, scared [or] angry, I need to be that place they feel safe.”
As a self-proclaimed work in progress, Denham shared that he doesn’t always rise to the moment.
“I am human and sometimes I can yell and get upset,” he said. “But I try to catch myself, and realize he’s 4, and will become what he sees."
His wife meanwhile took the opportunity to plead for an addition to their brood. She wrote in the comments: "Seeee babe!!!!!!! This is exactly why we need more babies!!!!!! You’re such an amazing dad - can all of jd’s followers please spam him with comments encouraging him to give me one more baby lol."
Denham’s reel has received over 100,000 likes and views. And followers praised him for his calm approach. Many were moved to tears by the interaction, leaving crying emojis in the comments.
“We need as many children as possible raised by fathers (and parents) just like this. Now more than ever,” one user wrote.
“The calm voice and teaching your boy to respect his mother will be such a huge life lesson as he gets older,” another added.
After their conversation, Jax went straight to his mom to apologize as instructed. “My wife tried to talk to him a little more, but I kind of gave her the eyes, like, he already gets it, just love on him,” Denham said. “It was a very raw and authentic moment of learning how to deal with his emotions, and learning how sorry can help make things better.”
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
Family & ParentingWhat Mom Says to 8-Year-Old Son During ‘Her Time’ Praised3 min read
Family & ParentingMom Films Twins Meeting for First Time—Then Something Incredible Happens3 min read
Family & ParentingMom Tries To Calm Baby Before Bed, Then Golden Retriever Gets Involved3 min read
Family & ParentingPregnant Mum Told To Expect a ‘Giant Baby’—the Reality Was Unbelievable3 min read
Family & ParentingHow 6-Year-Old Gets Ready for the Week Stuns Viewers: ‘Teach the Process’3 min read
LifeChild Psychologist Reveals the 5 Signs Your Kids Will Be Successful Adults3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
WorldRussia-Ukraine Live Updates: US, Ukraine Draft New 19-Point Peace Deal2 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump May Be Winning the Global Climate Change Debate6 min read
PoliticsHow Democrats Could Take Back Control of House From GOP Before 2026 Midterm6 min read
WorldNorth Korea ‘Expanding’ Major Nuclear Site: Analysts6 min read
NewsClarence Thomas Takes Aim at Supreme Court Doctrine Issued Decades Ago4 min read
EntertainmentJimmy Cliff, Grammy-Winning Reggae Legend, Dead Age 815 min readTrending
WeatherWinter Weather Alerts in 4 States As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit3 min read
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min read
National Weather ServiceWinter Storm Alert Issued as 12 Inches of Snow Set To Hit3 min read
WeatherMaps Show Snow Risk for Each State Over Thanksgiving 2025 Holidays3 min read
NFLNBC Celebrates Major Cris Collinsworth News Ahead of ‘Sunday Night Football’2 min readOpinion
OpinionFour Ways to Fight Trump’s Golden Age of Corruption | Opinion5 min read
OpinionThe Post-Shutdown Mandate—It’s Time for California to Lead | Opinion5 min read
OpinionDon’t Let Monopoly Utilities Kill Clean Consumer Choices | Opinion4 min read
Opinion‘AI Plus’ Is China’s Master Plan to Build an AI-Native Society by 2035 | Opinion5 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Trump and Mamdani Edition2 min read
