Clever toddler calls her father by his legal name when screaming 'daddy' doesn't get his attention

The internet has been left in splits, due to this little toddler who took matters into her own hands, quite literally, after her dad didn't respond to her sweet cries of "Daddy."  Sitting behind him in the car in a stroller, the little girl can be heard repeatedly calling out “Daddy, Daddy!” in her high-pitched, sugary voice. But when her dad doesn’t pay her any mind, she takes a surprising and sassy turn.

Without missing a beat, the little one switches gears and firmly starts calling him by his actual name, “Josh,” “Josh,” and then even “Joshy,” mimicking exactly how her mom affectionately addresses him. The confidence in her also proves that she is a daddy's girl through and through. The video was posted by her father, Josh Brueckner (@joshbrueckner), on Instagram, where it has now racked up over 11.4 million views. In the caption, the surprised dad wrote, “Girl really called me by my government name,” clearly amused, and aggressively blinking. It’s a humorous way of saying she used his real, formal name, something that’s usually reserved for serious situations, ideally not for toddler tantrums!

Instagram users couldn’t get enough of the little girl’s sass, persistence, and perfect comic timing. The comments section quickly turned into a delightful mix of praise and laughter.@gherb_01 perfectly captured the toddler’s attitude with a comment that read, “She said, ‘JOSH! I know you hear me!’”,  as if the little one had suddenly stepped into full boss mode when “Daddy” didn’t get the job done. @mamabrown93 adding in, said,  “When she yelled ‘Joshy,’ you just know she learned that from her mama.”

@katie_josh_and_skye couldn’t get over the toddler’s dramatic flair, writing, "This is hilarious, the way she puts her hands over her eyes like, ‘Why aren’t you listening to me, Daddy?’” Her gesture added a whole new layer of humor to the moment, making it feel like a mini soap opera in the backseat. @ashleighlouise696 shared a sentiment that many parents could relate to, saying, “I love when children figure out their parents have actual names! It sounds so cute yet so wrong.”

And perhaps the most viral-worthy comment came from @msnekababy3, who wrote in full courtroom fashion, “Well, hold on there, Josh. My client used ‘Daddy’ several times and got no answer. You were going to learn that day, you speak when someone is speaking to you.” It had everyone in stitches, painting the toddler as a no-nonsense negotiator demanding justice.

It’s no surprise that this moment resonated with so many; toddlers are, after all, natural copycats. Experts say that children between the ages of 1 and 3 are in a key phase of language development, where imitation plays a major role. During this stage, they often mimic the tone, words, and expressions they hear around them. So when this little one heard her mom affectionately call her partner “Joshy,”  it didn’t take long for her to tuck that information away and use it when needed, especially when “Daddy” wasn’t getting her the attention she wanted. In fact, studies show that toddlers who engage in more imitation tend to have faster vocabulary growth and stronger communication skills later on.

For more videos like this, you can follow @joshbrueckner on Instagram.