There is so much joy in being a parent.

Or so I would imagine.

At 27, I’ve yet to create my own little human, and my girlfriend and I are definitely not ready to do so.

But I did become an uncle for the first time almost two years ago and although I don’t get to see my nephew too often, he does make me laugh hysterically every time I do.

There’s just something hilarious about a tiny human trying to act like an adult.

They stumble through sentences, correctly using the few choice words that they’ve mastered while filling in the rest with gibberish.

And they’re so convinced that what they are doing or saying is right.

So when one little girl decides that her dad shouldn’t be shaking the maracas anymore, she lets him know in a hilarious way.

Her dad sits down with the maracas and begins to shake them.

But when he does, his toddler of a daughter runs into the room and lets him know that it’s not ok.

And she’s clearly mastered the word “no.”

How do I know this?

Because she shouts it over and over again while running towards her dad.

When she reaches him, she rips the maracas from his hands, and lets him know one more time, “no.”

She then proceeded to mumble something in baby-speak and puts the maracas down and away from her dad.

When her job is done, she gives him one more look, this time with a little extra sass, and leaves the room.

Her dad waits for her to round the corner before he gets up and grabs the maracas again.

He starts to shake them and within seconds his daughter is back in the room, scolding him a second time.

Of course, the father thinks that this is hilarious, as does the person filming.

You can hear chuckles coming from behind the camera, especially when the daughter decides to point the maracas at her dad while telling him “no” in the most authoritative voice that she can muster.

Although this may just seem like meaningless fun, it’s actually much more important than that.

According to The Mercury News, “A growing body of research shows conclusively that daughters of dads who play with them grow up to be more assertive (in a good way), get better grades in school, are more self-sufficient and are even less likely to smoke, abuse drugs or alcohol or get pregnant or go to prison as teens.”

So really it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The parents get to have a laugh and are provided with some entertainment, while the daughter gains valuable positive influence on her overall development.

Not only that but allowing your toddler to say “no” to you is actually beneficial for them as well.

According to Susan Newman, Ph.D., saying “no,” “boosts your child’s confidence… orients [them] toward a realistic view of the world… encourages [them] to be more self-aware…cultivates empathy… [and] helps teach money management.”

So if you or a loved one has any young children at home, make sure they get plenty of playtime and the freedom to stand their grand when they want to.

Oh, and don’t forget to have a video camera handy.

You might just end up filming the next viral toddler video.

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By B.T. Swezey

hi@sbly.com

B.T. Swezey is a contributor at SBLY Media.