Parents don’t always know what their kids are going to do when they get out there in the world by themselves. All they can do is hope that they did a good job instilling values and teaching their kids how to leave their corner of the world a better place.
In that case, the parents of a six-year-old boy named Bailey must be especially proud after he traded in a bagful of toys for the chance to help someone else.
A Wonderful Surprise
In May 2020, popular social media stars Paul Klein and Paul Wood shared a remarkable video to their Facebook page, Woody & Kleiny. In it, they brought Wood’s six-year-old son, Bailey, to London and offered him $600 to buy anything he wanted from Hamleys, the city’s oldest toy store.
They told the kid he had 30 minutes to pick out anything he wanted: Toys, games, sporting equipment. It was a dream come true for the child.
“Let’s do this!” he shouted excitedly before running into the store and checking out all kinds of cool things.
“He’s going to go for whatever’s the biggest,” the duo speculated, saying that kids have no concept of money and that they were curious what he would actually put in his bag.
An Unexpected Twist
As Bailey filled his orange shopping bag with coveted items, a look came over his face. Suddenly he started putting things back.
“I’m taking all this off,” he said, restocking shelves. “I don’t care.”
Once everything was put back, Bailey headed outside and asked for some of the money, saying he knew what he wanted to spend it on. He then led the cameras down the streets and put the money in the cup of a homeless man with a sign.
"Daddy always buys me toys and he needed it more than I did because he hasn’t got a house."
Bailey Wood
“I feel happy,” he told the camera. “Lots of people don’t have that much money so like, I just want to give it all away… Daddy always buys me toys and he needed it more than I did because he hasn’t got a house.”
Heartwarming Reactions
As Bailey walked back toward the store, he explained that he realized all of a sudden that the money would be good for that man, plain and simple. Back in front of the store, Bailey told his dad what he did and why. Suddenly, his dad was fighting back tears.
“Well this is going to be a good video,” Wood joked, choking back tears and hugging his son. “I’m proud of you.”
Wood wasn’t the only one who was touched. The comments section quickly filled with people who were equally inspired by the actions of this little man.
“You must have been the proudest parent ever that day. Absolutely wonderful, selfless thing to do,” wrote one person.
“What an amazing young man you are raising! Total credit to how he is being raised, you should be so proud of him as he should be of himself. Just made my day watching this,” wrote someone else.
Faith in the Next Generation
If you’ve ever wondered whether the world will be in good hands with the next generation, this video is the only answer you need. Kids are capable of all kinds of great things, even when we least expect it.
It’s a nice reminder that if we do our best and try to be good people, our kids will hopefully see our examples and follow suit. So donate that extra dollar to someone who needs it, give time to a charity or a worthy cause, and remember that we all have a story, no matter what our current circumstances may be.
Children see everything, even when you think they’re not paying attention. By modeling the behavior we hope them to have, one day your kids may just surprise you the way Bailey surprised his dad.
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