A four-year-old boy was given a simple preschool assignment to bring in something he was thankful for – and his choice left his mum in tears.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While other children might have reached for a favourite toy or treasured possession, Daniel had somebody else in mind.
He wanted to bring his two-year-old sister, Sophia.
The adorable moment was captured by their mum, Stephanie DeRoss, 30, who shared footage of the siblings together at Daniel’s preschool on TikTok.
Set to ABBA’s “Slipping Through My Fingers,” the video shows Daniel and Sophia sitting at the front of his classroom as he answers questions from his classmates and gives his little sister a hug.
“Rich in life cause I’m their mom 🥹😭,” DeRoss captioned the clip.
The idea came about in November when Daniel’s class was asked to “bring in something they were thankful for.”
Rather than needing any encouragement from his mum, Daniel immediately knew who he wanted alongside him.
“Without any prompting, he said to me, ‘Do you think I could bring Soph?’ Of course, my heart melted and I teared up instantly!” DeRoss told PEOPLE. “I messaged his teacher to ask permission, almost certain it wouldn’t be allowed, but was pleasantly surprised when she said yes. He was so excited, too.”
The decision perhaps shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given just how close the siblings are.
“They have always been super lovable with the occasional fighting,” DeRoss explained. “My son loves to be her protector and looks to defend her at any chance he can.”
Their bond is so strong that Daniel starting school proved to be an adjustment for both children.
“They hate to be apart, so school was an adjustment for both of them,” she continued. “Some days at school drop off, Sophia gets upset that he’ll be gone.”
DeRoss was there to watch the special show and tell herself and admitted she “cried the whole time while filming them.”
“I knew this was a special moment that they’d hopefully remember forever, and also a special moment for me as a mom,” she said. “I was filled with such gratitude knowing how much they love each other.”
Daniel also gave his classmates a few insights into life with Sophia, revealing that the pair enjoy playing with cars together and that her favourite food is yogurt.
He also disclosed one particularly important piece of family information: “they both love to sleep in Mommy’s bed!”
His classmates were apparently just as interested in Daniel’s special guest.
“All the kids couldn’t get their hands up fast enough to ask questions,” DeRoss said.
The wholesome footage subsequently went viral, something their mum hadn’t anticipated.
“[I was] so surprised! It made me happy sharing this heartfelt moment with the rest of the world,” she said.
“Knowing how many people loved to see it and hearing stories of people themselves having this experience of being brought into a sibling’s class made my day, too!”
For one preschool assignment about gratitude, Daniel managed to provide an answer that required no toy, photograph or prized possession – just his little sister.
Featured image credit: @stephdeross / TikTok
